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Tracklist: Numinöse Ⅰ. 哀悼 (Aitou) Ⅱ. Pairidaēza Lost Ⅲ. Blind Gold Ⅳ. 棘と艶 (Toge to Tsuya) Ⅴ. 苦海 (Kukai) Ⅵ. 目醒めの未視感 (Mezame no Mishikan) Ⅶ. Heat Haze Ⅷ. 銀の砂漠 (Gin no Sabaku) Ⅸ. Saints Ideal X. 祷りの星 (Inori no Hoshi) Ⅺ. 残滓 (Zanshi) 眩き展望 (Mabayuki Tenbou) 1. 幽玄の誘い (Yuugen no Izanai) 2. 憂き世 (Ukiyo) 3. 夢現 (Yumeutsutsu) 4. 暗礁 (Anshou) 5. 幕間劇 (Makuaigeki) 6. 餞 (Hanamuke) 7. Subliminal Sunrise 8. 有終の美 (Yuushuu no Bi) 9. 弛まぬ霊の相続 (Tayumanu Tamashii no Souzoku) 10. Mellow Sleep 11. 微睡みの魂 (Madoromi no Tamashii) | 2016's first 'must have'. After Vidya and a slew of experimental singles, it’s a fair assumption to say that most fans were surprised at the speed in which IX -Nine- released their first album. The fact that this would actually be a double album certainly piqued my interest. Following the same stylistic shift that followed Vidya, IX -Nine-‘s latest release is a veritable platter of progression. Evolving from Vidya’s use of traditional instruments and ethereal vocals, Nirdvandva integrates electronic elements to their trademark sound, as well as a sprinkling of industrial, classical, trip-hop and EDM. This culminates in a varied album, appealing to both fans and newcomers. While songs like "Blind Gold" have that familiar atmospheric, even viscous IX -Nine- denseness to them that fans will love, others such as "Saints Ideal" could easily be radio-worthy and a more welcoming invitation for new listeners. While there is something here for everyone, there are times when the album feels too experimental, with sections seemingly added to tick off another genre from the hitlist. While the orchestral section of "暗礁" comes across as a tad bombastic, for example, the shifts between rock, metal and dancepop in "Heat Haze" come across as awkward, making for a jarring listening experience. This also seems to permeate into the second album’s tracklist, with a noticeably sporadic flow due to the number of instrumental tracks peppered throughout. In spite of this, Nirdvandva otherwise shines in its experimentation. Previous singles "Pairidaēza Lost" and "Subliminal Sunrise" are a testament to the band’s skilful utilisation of electronic elements, whereas "餞" easily intertwines Eastern instruments with beat samples, leading into a full-on EDM rave. Despite some hiccups, IX -Nine-‘s ability to integrate new genres into their music and still make them their own is interesting to say the least and an effective way of keeping new and existing listeners hooked. Nirdvanva’s first side, Numinöse, is a beautifully crafted album. As with Vidya, the atmosphere and emotions created by tracks like "棘と艶" are both haunting and palpable. The echoing piano that reverberates throughout the track is characteristic of most of the album. This is often punctuated by minimalist drumming, melodic guitarwork and beautifully-employed string instruments. "苦海" and "目醒めの未視感" are perfect examples of this, utilising large, vocal-free chunks of their play time to enthral the listener with such instrumentation. Dripping with emotion, the majority of this album welcomes you to simply sit and listen, analysing and appreciating each song’s intricacies. That’s not to say that this is not an accessible album, however. "Saints Ideal" is a great example of how IX -Nine-’s electronic additions entice new listeners through more modern approaches. With fluid movements between catchy electronic music bordering on Oshare Kei and surprisingly heavier passages, this song is a welcome addition to the library of most Visual Kei fans. Similarly, "祷りの星" dances between attention-grabbing piano sections and drum-fuelled flurries highlighted by vocalist IX‘s first use of harsh vocals. A new avenue for his vocal work, this is yet another song on the album showcasing his abilities. Throughout most of Numinöse his ethereal voice is the highlight, moving from effortless high vocals to haunting softness. The minimal nature of songs like "Blind Gold" and "Pairidaēza Lost" allow for his plaintive delivery to affect the listener, demanding their attention. For the melancholic atmosphere of this album, IX’s voice is perfectly suited for the job. In contrast to the delicate nature of Numinöse, the majority of Nirdvandva’s second side, 眩き展望, is dark, even menacing. With a focus on Eastern instruments, tracks like "幕間劇" and "幽玄の誘い" are markedly different from those found on Numinöse. Not dissimilar to Dir En Grey’s "Sa Bir", they show an entirely different side to the band whilst retaining that palpable atmosphere. Eeriness is peppered across 眩き展望, with an emphasis on traditional instruments ("憂き世" as an example) and ominous chanting ("夢現" and "幕間劇") to generate a presence almost. Like Numinöse, this album strives to be as evocative as possible, often resulting in vibes that are characteristic of Akira Yamaoka’s music. His mantra of silence also being a sound is seemingly employed across the entirety of Nirdvanva, with haunting vocal-less passages having just as much weight to them as the album’s many emotional choruses. This oppressive atmosphere gives way to many displays of musical catharsis in the album, however. "弛まぬ霊の相続" shatters expectations by progressing into a straight up rock number, despite its opening. Previous single "有終の美" has a wonderful ebb and flow between acoustic and electronic instrumentation, punctuated with some fantastic drumming. This leads nicely to the drumming in "暗礁" which takes centre stage, literally hammering away the darkness at the start of the track via a sporadic and attention-demanding flurry on the skins. Admittedly 眩き展望 is heavy on the instrumental tracks but each song is a worthy addition to the band’s library. "Mellow Sleep", for example, utilises that signature IX -Nine- atmosphere to create a pseudo-lullaby before leading into a powerful close. As with the EDM ending to "餞", the shredding guitars of this song’s climax is unexpected yet welcome. Like the rest of Nirdvandva, everything feels new yet familiar. IX -Nine- have come a long way in their budding career, with a staggering amount of quality songs released in a short space of time. Nirdvanda proves that IX -Nine- are far from a one-trick pony and that they are a band who is willing to diversify whilst still retaining their trademark sound. Despite a few hiccups, Nirdvandva is a musical journey and one of the few albums that are truly immersive. With an array of new genres, themes, and atmospheres under their belt, I’m more excited than ever to see where their next release takes them. You can nab this tasty fella here- http://number9.buyshop.jp/

Tracklist: 1. Push [Instrumental] 2. Justify 3. Doubt 4. Expectations 5. Forest | A shadow of their former selves I think we all know I was this close to starting a mourning thread for FACT when they decided to call it quits. Luckily they announced their split a year before it was set to happen and they released enough goodbye material to satiate me. But the best news of all was the announcement of their new projects. SHADOWS sounded as if it had the best possible group to continue on the FACT signature sound with both guitarists and the vocalist sticking together to form it, so I was counting the days awaiting its release. It's kind of astonishing to think one could be so disappointed in only twelve minutes. Cue my first letdown. FACT was known to write some short songs, but to see the entire 'mini album' only reached a twelve minute running time came as a shock. "Push" starts off innocently enough, as a nice guitar-lead instrumental. The same seven-note riff repeats over and over as it optimistically builds up to the next track, "Justify". Effectively, these songs sound like they are one track that got spliced in half. It was the right choice to start off the disc because it's the only song I'd recommend for older FACT fans. Even at its one minute and seventeen second track length, it has a healthy dose of aggression and emotion to keep you engaged. The following song "Doubt" is when the real train wreck happens. I'm guessing it was an intentional choice to let vocalist Hiro sing the entire song off key, in an incredibly cringe-y way, not a cool, intensely emotional kind of way. In fact, Hiro's vocals seem void of any and all emotion for the entire track. So just imagine an off-key robot yelling at you over incredibly repetitive and watered-down FACT riffs-- Actually, don't. Just pretend it doesn't exist like I'm going to after this. The second half of the 'mini album' carries on with "Expectations" and while the emotions are still feeling stunted with the vocals, the guitar riffs are driving the atmosphere. They push the track down a punk rock-rendered void so you walk away with the feeling of the pressure they must have felt to deliver on these songs. It's too bad it seems the pressure may have gotten to them in their effort to rush them to the masses. The final track "Forest" rounds out the end of the release. On the surface, it comes off like a leftover idea from FACT's burudanga album, which wouldn't so bad if SHADOWS and Extrance weren't standing directly in the shadow (pun intended) of FACT's former glory. The harsh truth is that their fans do have expectations, and even if the guys want to press on in a new direction, at this stage in their careers ideas have to be presented fully realized and polished. And what I find even more insulting is they are being called 'live' recordings, but what they sound like are single take play-throughs. If you're going to push demo level music, don't expect people to happily shell out top dollar for them. I still have hope that their future releases will improve because any new band would need to take time and find themselves. But this ultimately felt like an unnecessary cash grab, and that's what hurts the most. Buy Extrance @ CDJapan!

Tracklist: 1 サプリミナル・ダイエット 2 骨抜きに恋して 3 腰掛けラップ 4 PH4 5 GODcustomer 6 等身大グレー 7 ベルサッサ 8 自撮ール | Slowly losing charisma, but still a fun release. Pop gets the short end of the stick in "serious musical discussions". A lot of pop is swept under the rug as formulaic music for simple-minded people, so it's challenging for a pop musician to innovate while essentially staying the same artist. It boils down to mixing together a bit of something old, a bit of something new, and the musical equivalent of Chemical X. These are the ingredients which form The Hit Single, a coveted substance sought by many, found by few, and difficult to produce at scale. Over the last few years Charisma.com has taken the approach of slowly but steadily expanding their musical palette in order to produce many Hit Singles. The beats of last year's OLest were much more dynamic than the offerings found on their debut EP for example; they pushed their sound to a place they hadn't taken it before while still keeping the pop hooks and hard hitting commentary that got them fans. Their newest release 愛泥C is set to bring everything together and take it up another level, but inconsistency holds it back. I would describe the issue as death by one thousand tiny cuts. Elements don't come together as they should. I am no stranger to famous Japanese producers assisting the dynamic duo, but it feels like the different producers never agreed on the core sound of the album. It will bounce from pop to dance music to hip hop very fast, and sometimes they go off on weird tangents or include cringe-worthy sections (most specifically "GODCustomer"), which requires the flow of the album be immaculate to make up for the constant change in mood. It's not. There's the lead single "サプリミナル・ダイエット" which is classic Charisma to a fault, the deliciously smooth "PF4", and the infectious "ベルサッサ" which catches my ear and please me greatly. Then there are the tracks which sound pleasant but leave no effect at all on me, such as the end track "自撮ール". Then there are the more abstract trap influenced bangers such as "腰掛けラップ", where Itsuka shows some difficulty in flowing with the beat. It's unfortunate that the most abstract beats are the most beastly but also complemented with trap influences and a very lazy chorus where the beat drops and they echo a phrase for eight bars. It's supposed to sound hard but doesn't. Charisma.com feel much more comfortable in electro pop / hip-hop territory and it shows. Charisma seem to have an easier time making snazzy hits when they stick to pop territory and I'd much prefer if they kept the trap influences to a minimum. Bigger isn't always better, and when some tracks bang hard and others fall flat, the whole experience feels like empty calories. More than ever it feels like they're forcing themselves to be catchy, hip, and "lolsorandom". I adore where the duo takes their brand of pop music, but not at the expense of consistency. They need to stop trying so hard. Throwing everything and the kitchen sink at the listener is a surefire way to lose their attention. Scale some of the stranger elements of the beats back a tiny bit, get all your producers in a room to talk about the experience as a whole, and keep the hard hitting social commentary mixed with humorous lyrical themes the band is known for. There needs to be the right amount of direction to offset the spastic insanity that is Charisma.com. Purchase from CDJapan!

Tracklist: 01. 東京、熱帯夜につき 02. 夜想GALAXXXY 03. サクラユメ 04. 甘美な嘘と退屈な薄紅 05. Relic Snow 06. 神様がもしいるなら 8/10 | DIV's unique blend of EDM and rock proves to be a winner! Never a band to sit idle, young visual rockers DIV have continued their steady stream of releases and christened 2016 with their second and latest EP EDR TOKYO. The 'EDR' in the title stands for 'Electronic Dance Rock', and while electronics have always been present in DIV's music, they've mostly --with the exception of a few b-sides like "milky latte" and "東京ネクロポリス博物館 (Tokyo Necropolis Hakubutsukan)"-- operated on the peripheries: relegated to mood-setting intros, punchy breakdowns, and background frill. EDR TOKYO asserts itself as a more overt electronic endeavor, however. Their last single, the awesome, EDM-fueled "イケナイKISS (ikenai kiss)" gave us a good taste of what DIV's 'EDR' could sound like, and it's certainly served as precursor to the material on this EP. The blithesome opener "東京、熱帯夜につ (tokyo nettaiya ni tsuki)" borrows some of the EDM elements of that song, but takes them a bit further, as guitars take a backseat to bright, layered synths and atmospheric bleep bloops. The song openly embraces electronics and effectively sets the precedent for the rest of the EP; each song is inundated with lively synth-work and programming that's both varied and meticulously applied. There may even be moments where you'll question if you're still listening to DIV or not; the main synth in "神様がもしいるなら (kamisama ga moshi iru nara)" sounds like something you'd hear in a , and the heavy, electro-blended guitars in "甘美な嘘と退屈な薄紅 (kanbi na uso to taikutsu na usubeni)" would equally at home in a track by the GazettE, yet they implement all of this without really straying from who they are. This EP proves that DIV have thoroughly invested themselves in 'EDR' and the electronics here neither sound like a gimmick nor are they arbitrary sonic decorations. Every synth sounds like it has purpose and is an inherent part of the song. Some may worry that the heavy-focus on electronic music may have come at a price, but rest assured, that is not the case. DIV have not neglected 'R' in 'EDR'! Tracks like "夜想GALAXXXY (yasou GALAXXXY)" and "サクラユメ (sakurayume)" have plenty of audible guitar work, yet are still seamlessly integrated with the electronics. "甘美な嘘と退屈な薄紅" and "Relic Snow", which are arguably the harder tracks of the EP, even boast a bit of breakdown chugging. Clever programming also pervades the EP, with the drums alternating between satoshi's live playing, techno kicks, dubstep-snares and more. Throughout EDR TOKYO, this creates a kind of aural symbiosis that draws forth the raving energy of EDM, but equally channels the adrenal charge of metalcore and the buoyancy of styles like pop-rock and pop-punk. In short, the EP still rocks out in spite of DIV's stylistic choices - no, perhaps even because of them. EDR TOKYO does lose a bit of steam by the last two tracks, though. That particular duo seems to retread similar musical ground as the previous tracks, but that's a minor grievance, as both tracks still maintain enough personality to sustain the EP. Ultimately, DIV have accomplished what they've set out to do: they've successfully accentuated their electronic tendencies while maintaining their rock-oriented outlook. EDR TOKYO doesn't feel like a conscious shift in DIV's musical direction - it sounds like the band simply manifesting more of who they already were to begin with. Purchase EDR TOKYO @ CDJapan

Tracklist: 1. 「howling」 2. Lily 3. Royal Order 4. Declaration of war 5. Cordyceps sinesis 6. A Box In Beautiful 7. Miss.EVIL INSIDE 8.「flowing」 9. Chains of collar 10. Who's bad psycho party 11. pAIN kILLER 12. 緋雨 13. 結晶華 14. **88** 15. REDRUM（album edit） | The royal order loses its luster Like them or hate them, Lycaon cemented their place as one of the most influential post-2000's visual kei bands. Another thing they've managed to do successfully is to get their fans to debate which album is their best. Depending on who you ask, the most likely answer would be their first album Royal Order or their last album camera obscura. Royal Order was one of my favorite visual kei albums for many years. If you asked me five years ago for a list of my favorite visual kei albums of all time, Royal Order surely would have made the list. Now? Not so much. I've now come to officially throw my ring into the hat and make this endless debate even more complicated. It's always bothered me that so much of this album was released as singles, but it pisses me off to no end that they decided to include all of them on this album. "Cordyceps sinensis", "Declaration of War", and "A Box in Beautiful" get a pass, but each single leading right into the next unbalances the album. "Declaration" is probably the weakest song with "A Box in Beautiful" as the strongest of the three, but that could be my preferences talking. Then there's "chains of collar"; one of their more iconic singles but was a bit aged by this point in time. "結晶華", "RED RUM", and "緋雨" are previously released tracks to pad the run time. Stick two SE's in there and you will realize that I just I covered half of the album in one breath. That's not a good look. What else sucks is that "Plug > into the > Socket" was a great, energetic rock number that would have fit anywhere, but they decided to release that on a cassette tape instead. If they absolutely must have included older tracks to fill out the album, both "「琥珀彩」～コハクイロ～" and "The[1st] degree genocide holic" are much better options (they had already pimped the latter out for the さわやか3組 2009 omnibus). I would have been happy with a remaster of "The Death Game" at least! Note that I stress they do something with their older songs. They changed up "RED RUM" a bit but didn't even bother to touch "緋雨" so Yuuki's unpolished, brusque vocals and rougher production stick out like a sore thumb against the crisper production of the newer tracks. However, there is no reason why a band must include anything from their oldest singles at all. So what about the rest of the album @Zeus? The tone of my paragraph above suggests I would have preferred more new tracks, but the records show it took the band six months to come up with the rest of the album and the new additions weren't as solid as the singles. "Miss DEVIL INSIDE" is our first introduction into the genre-hopping that Lycaon hadn't fully embraced by this point. I can appreciate the unexpected double bass rolls into the screaming chorus but at it's best it's budget System of a Down worship. "**88**"" is a clone of "Miss DEVIL INSIDE" with even less polish and a scream so harsh at the end it can blow out eardrums. Finally, the title track "Royal Order" is weak sauce; it bounces between those burpy harsh vocals and that cavity-inducing saccharine chorus but the rest of the song is forgettable. I can't believe they actually named the album after this... Now that I got all my complaints out of the way, what little is left is why anyone should give Royal Order the time of day. The album should have jumped straight into "Lily". Excellent music writing and experimentation with some new sounds and a catchy, almost Gazette-ish chorus makes for one of the better new tracks. "who's bad psycho party" is actually a lot better than it's title lets on. With a four to the floor disco beat nesting lovely with some electronic effects, this and "pAIN kILLER" are the best out of the newer tracks - it's just a shame that the former isn't included on the limited edition. It took me a while to warm up to both tracks but now I see the value they bring towards the end of the record as well as why they follow one another. "結晶華", shamelessly lifted from Ambrozia, is also a wonderful breath of fresh air. A ballad needed to be present and this was their best one to date. They did everyone a favor too by removing the obnoxious minute and a half of silence at the end. It's a good song, but it doesn't leave me breathless. The re-recording of "RED RUM" is a nice touch to finish off the album, although I think it would have been even more effective if "**88**" wasn't included at all and "結晶華" and "RED RUM" swapped positions. I also miss the scream at the beginning but the harsh vocals at the end make up for it. So Royal Order is a mixed bag. I still enjoy listening to it to this day, but five years with an album gives you a new perspective on it. I enjoy this album a lot more because I enjoy Lycaon's discography and all the songs I like are mostly songs I've heard before. It has a few surprises here and there, but it's got a few duds as well (well actually, more than a few if you count the instrumentals as music). I recommend it as an overall good album to listen to, but it's not the be-all end-all post-2000's visual kei release I once thought it was. ...but @Zeus, you didn't answer the question! Which Lycaon album is the best album? *sigh* You can infer that Royal Order wins because my >score for camera obscura was only a hair lower and as far as I'm concerned 嘘と女と『　　　　』 never happened, but that would be missing the point. A star doesn't mean much in the long run. Lycaon has great songs and poop songs from every era. Some of their best songs are on their worst releases and some of their worst songs are omnipresent. Even the "erotic" era I'm notorious for disliking has "Mary" and "MAD NEUROSIS CHILD"! As a band, Lycaon were all over the place because they were always changing their concept. This is one of the few times that a best-of album would have been very welcome, but that raises the sticky question of how to blend all their eras together with a nice flow. Settling on a style is an issue they never quite worked out before disbanding, and I personally believe the departure of eve and 美央 only made this problem worse because it left the other members to experiment freely. "Experimenting freely" is how you end up with releases like Masochist Red Circus. If you want an answer to the most consistent Lycaon release, Ambrozia is a safe bet. That's all you get for free.

最高の食卓(saikou no shokutaku): 01.「あー。」(a) 02.「君の子宮を触る」(kimi no shikyuu wo sawaru) 03.「ここにラブソングを」(koko ni love song wo) 04.「問題作」(mondaisaku) 05.「追落」(tsuiraku) 06.「排泄物」(haisetsubutsu) 07.「おいしい脾臓は笑わない」(oishii hizou wa warawanai) 08.「セイオン」(seion) 09.「宗教」(shuukyou) 10.「ピクトグラムさん」(pictogram-san) | The best table turned out to be the best material DEZERT have released thus far The first words that pop into my head when I think of DEZERT are twisted, dirty and frightening—an image influenced by the band's dark looks, Chiaki's smeared lipstick and the brutal horror tone their MVs take. The image fits the music, with grinding guitars, pummelling drums, clangy bass and vocals that could cough blood and serenade you within the same song. As part of the “revival-kei” movement, they sit toward the more alt-metal inspired side of early/mid-2000's visual kei, wearing their MUCC, 蜉蝣 and D'espairsRay influences on their sleeves. The band had a relatively still 2015, with their sole releases being 3 live distributed singles and a 'rarez' compilation album, but with the announcement of their second full length 「最高の食卓」and the arrival of new guitarist Miyako (ex-Moran, Vivi) replacing KIRA after his departure, they were back on track. I was especially interested to see how Miyako would fit their sound, as his previous band Moran was a far cry from DEZERT. In general, he's a brilliant replacement and some might say an improvement on his predecessor—the guitar work on 「最高の食卓」is a lot less dry than KIRA's, and at times it reminds me of a dissonant, sour version of his guitarwork in Moran with a healthy dose of Alt-Metal as well. The best example of this is on「君の子宮を触る」, with the intro and subsequent guitar funky flicky chord freak out sounding like the opening of Eclipse by Moran, just doused in acid and left to decay. Miyako fulfills this half of DEZERT's guitar work very well and his treatment of the drop A chugging riffs is equally interesting. Whereas KIRA made more powerful riffs in the lower register, whenever Miyako drops that low, it's used more as a textural element than a brutal riff. The perfect example of this is the ninth track, 「宗教」, which feature a guitar so hideously distorted its hard to make out exactly what he's playing outside of a grinding wall of fuzz. Miyako also shifts between clean/distorted sounds a lot, further drawing out the juxtaposition already present in Chiaki's compositions. The verdict on his performance on the album is that it was nothing short of insanely brilliant: no guitarist can match his sound and that's nothing that could have been said for KIRA, who—while entirely competent—definitely relied on a set template, such that it wasn't hard to hear exact songs he was borrowing from. The rest of the band is sharp as always, and they tend to play in a tight interlocking style that seems unlikely for a band only together for 5 or so years. SaZ is unique for a visual kei bassist in that he makes himself heard despite generally playing lower bass lines; he's placed high up in the mix so that his dirty and punchy tone fills the space perfectly. I particularly love his slap bass sequences and interplay with Miyako on 「あー。」, 「君の子宮を触る」 and 「おいしい脾臓は笑わない」with special mention to the first track. While on 「君の子宮を触る」and 「おいしい脾臓は笑わない」 the guitar and bass weave in and out of each other, on「あー。」they focus together as an intense assault on the listener. SaZ thumps along with the doomy guitar line in the chorus and switches to a more delicate slapping during the verses when the rest of the instrumentation, spare a ghostly guitar arpeggio, drops out entirely—sounding like drumsticks being tapped together. Much like the guitars, the bass serves a dual purpose in being the rhythmic core of the album, as well as providing texture. While Miyako and SaZ have their fascinating interplay throughout the album, the same kind of vibe comes off of drummer Sora's performance as he plays off all the other musicians and even the vocal line. A highlight for his drumming comes in 「ここにラブソングを」, where Sora blasts through the first verse, but smashes his cymbals to compliment Chiaki's vocals in a way that seems as if they're bouncing off each others' accents. Throughout the album there's an attention to detail in Sora's drumming that's hard to come across with newer bands, with the frequently cited「君の子宮を触る」as his most adventurous performance. Chiaki's performance is equally adventurous, he plays with a variety of different vocal deliveries throughout the album. On the choruses, he's not afraid to delve into his higher register and pull out a pretty falsetto—i have no complaints about his clean vocals, he has a lovely voice. Of course, the bread and butter of DEZERT's sound is contrast, so the pretty vocals on the choruses are matched by hideous growls and dirty vocals as Chiaki can spit it out as good as the rest of 'em. While high screams are absent, they're not too missed as they've never been in Chiaki's arsenal to begin with. A new addition, or maybe just a feature i'm noticing more of on「最高の食卓」compared to their prior work is this weird rap-talk thats featured prominently in the verses of 「ここにラブソングを」, 「問題作」, 「排泄物」 and「宗教」. It differs greatly from track to track, sounding like a stoned rapper on fast forward in 「ここにラブソングを」, a disoriented grandpa in 「問題作」, punchy rapper on 「排泄物」, and a vaguely dazed, orgasmic version of himself on 「宗教」. It gives each track its own flavour and mood in a way that clean singing alone wouldn't be able to accomplish. I can't comment much on the topic of the lyrics as no translations have been posted yet, but a quick run through Google Translate hints at some pretty weird stuff in additional to Chiaki's usual lyrical theme cocktail of murder, death, and despair. At this point, the album's theme of contrast has come up a lot, and this is stated in「最高の食卓」more through the individual songs than anywhere else in their discography. The verses are especially oblique on here, usually minimal and understated with not a lot going on and a good usage of space within them. They're frequently paired up with sugary sweet choruses, and this is—for the most part—the formula for the album. The fact that it comes across as a formula can be a positive or a negative in any case depending on one's preference. It can be seen as a negative as while there's more diversity within tracks by way of odd guitar lines, increased attention to detail and vocals changing a lot from track to track, the structure itself rarely changes. However, this leaves each song to have their own flavour and tells them apart from one another in a way that their previous material hasn't often been able to do. This is what separates「最高の食卓」 from their debut full length album「タイトルなし」in a huge way, as「タイトルなし」 played with diversity more as an overall concept with odd song structures and running times, but usually drawing from a limited sonic palette. 「最高の食卓」's the flip side: the songs structurally are more conventional—but they draw from a larger set of influences and style in a way that doesn’t come across as constricted or monochromatic as its predecessor. The songwriting is equally strong on both albums, but whether the more mature, multifaceted style of「最高の食卓」 or the savage force of「タイトルなし」tickles your fancy—its ultimately up to one's preference. On the topic of nitpicking complaints, the running length is around 35 minutes—which is cruelly short for 10 songs, but DEZERT pull off the shorter songs equally as well with the longer songs. The sole exception to this being 「追落」, a ballad previously released as a live distributed single that isn't interesting enough to justify its nearly 5 minute length. With 「最高の食卓」, DEZERT stay true to the sound they've spent the past 5 years developing while surprising listeners with unexpected touches and more mature songwriting and musicianship with the addition of new guitarist Miyako. While it lacks the outward brutality of prior releases,「最高の食卓」replaces it with fascinating new textures and details, keeping their sound fresh. I gasped when DEZERT announced their tour final at ZEPP Tokyo, a massive venue that seems far out of their class and far too large for them to fill up. However, if「最高の食卓」is any indicator of their artistic ability—I don't see a sold out ZEPP TOKYO cheering during the encore while 「ピクトグラムさん」 plays in the back with confetti flying out over the audience to be out of reach within the next few years. If you've been curious about DEZERT but never jumped in, I highly encourage you to try「最高の食卓」. It's an odd place to start as it's by far their most inaccessible record, taking quite a few more listens than usual to get immersed into. I find it incredibly rewarding regardless, displaying songwriting chops few bands in visual kei even get close to while merging a deliciously weird sonic palette of old and new, heavy and light, grotesque and beautiful, catchy and utterly alienating. Available for purchase at CDJapan.

Tracklist: 1. ◯生物 (◯Seibutsu) 2. フラスコ (Frasco) 3. マイム (Mime) 4. ハシエンダ (Haçienda) 5. 告白 (Kokuhaku) 6. インソムニアブルース (Insomnia Blues) 7. float 8. 落花 (Rakka) 9. スラッシングパンプキン•デスマーチ (Thrashing pumpkin death march) 10. スロウ (slow) 11. 剥製 (Kakusei) 12. ●静物 (●Seibutsu) | Plastic Tree execute an album with more highlights than a thick, full head of hair can take. It's impossible for 'disappointment' and 'new Plastic Tree album' to be together in the same sentence, as they prove once again. 剥製 (Hakusei) is the bands thirteenth full length album and it's been a painful wait even with a handful of singles and another mini-album occupying us up until December of last year. But it can be safely said that it was well worth the wait. Much like how Ink worked with a complimentary opener and closer, 剥製 is organised in the same manner. Being a dramatic and emotional instrumental as the final track, but with a bit of Ryutaro goodness in the first one, both match wonderfully. This encourages a repeat thanks to the same soft piano melody used in both to tie them together. "●静物" (●Seibutsu) ends the album on a gorgeous yet sad note, quite literally, while "◯生物" (◯Seibutsu) sets a tone that captures the shoegaze genre that plays off of Ryutaro's vocalization like a charm. "フラスコ" (Frasco), track two, starts the album off beautifully after the wonderful opener, and while simple, it still stands out on its own. Its sound makes you picture a journey across a beautiful landscape. I get that feeling of travelling with this one, and moving onto my pair of favourites on the album, it only gets more adventurous in the mid section of the release. "インソムニアブルース" (Insomnia blues) has an unbelievable flow with an incredibly gorgeous chorus. Ryutaro's mumbled vocals are almost overpowered by the pounding music, fitting to their shoegaze tendencies. With a melody that reminds me of their classic song "水槽。"(suisou), it's another underwater like tune I always adore the sound of. The track that follows after this is more than fitting. "float" continues this setting, adopting a more peaceful sound. "float" is one of their more soft rock tunes, and while not much happens, that's how the magic works. It's another track that flows effortlessly, with slant rhyme schemes and repeated lyrics, coming off as rather romantic; it's a must include when going on vacation, despite what craziness they're probably singing about. "剥製" (Hakusei), as you might have noticed, is the album title's track, and most certainly deserving. Being one of their slowest songs, it grabs you straight away with a melancholic tune as they do best. The prompt whispering and drum hits at the start sets the mood and with it being the final track before the penultimate song, it sure is a climax despite its linear path throughout. I can't forget to expand on the recent singles "マイム" (Mime), "スロウ" (slow) and "落花" (Rakka) that I mentioned earlier. Usually for me, the singles are always the stand out points, but this is the exception to the rule. The rest of 剥製 manages to prove its worth against the strong singles, and I personally find that incredible and rare. When looking at the singles on their own, "マイム" plays like a classic Plastic Tree tune, with questionable, riddle-like lyrics, and a psychedelic charm to it. This brings me back to how the band sounded on "トレモロ" (Tremelo) because of the theatrical delivery. While "落花" (Rakka) has a simpler structure, as I had already described in September's RT, it's still a very solid submission with instantly catchy and familiar riffs as expected. But it's "スロウ" (slow) that proves to be one of the highlights of 剥製 for me. The slower paced melody creates an idealistic, lonely setting - the kind Plastic Tree are known for forging. "スロウ" (slow) never quite reaches a climax, but it takes you down a current you wish wouldn't end. It's very complimentary to their similar song "Blueback" mixed with "Ink", which spells out perfection by the way. The album isn't all peaceful sounding though. "スラッシングパンプキン•デスマーチ" (Thrashing pumpkin death march) is one of the louder songs Plastic Tree have put out, and while eccentric and bubbly, it comes off as lost and unnecessary. I'm grateful for the autotune put over Ryutaro's voice, making it even more entertaining; yet it almost comes off as another silly cover like they did with "バカになったのに" (Baka ni Natta no ni). While it's a neat addition and adds variety, it fails to pull through in the long run because it sticks out like a sore thumb, and not one you'd kiss better. On the topic of pain, there's also "ハシエンダ" (Haçienda), which comes off as a song I swear I've heard from them before. I thought I was going mental when comparing the track's title to their mini-album, echo's tracklist. Being one of the quicker paced numbers on the album didn't do it any favors, instead cornering it like a deer in headlights. It's enjoyable if you can forgive its copy-and-paste tune, but this time their experimentation made a song that just doesn't mesh. It's quite a bore if I had to admit it. There's also a track that fits nicely (well, not so nicely since it's not exactly a compliment) into the 'grower material' section. "告白" (Kokuhaku) was so mediocre on first listen, and against two similar and better tracks, this was left in the dust. But with a catchy chorus that invades your head space it does its job in complimenting its companion tracks. If you're (somehow!) new to the guys, this is not to be missed. If you've been a long time listener of them, this is not to be missed. 剥製 may not be perfect, but it's going to be impossible not to treasure it as much as their previous works. Plastic Tree have surely made their fans proud. The band shows that you can still be simple yet effective when putting out music, doing what you're best at doing and still excelling at it (let's just forgive and forget those few clangers)! CDJapan | Amazon

Tracklist: 1. FRONT 2. WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL 3. 少年ワルツ 4. Believe 5. Here I am 6. Jesus phobia 7. 素晴らしい「教育」 8. 二面相シンデレラ 9. テツキズ 10. 冬唄 11. 踏切迷子 12. デジャヴパニック 13. 勘違い革命 | Spoopy down for what? For those of you who may be new to ペンタゴン (pentagon), the band was established on December 14th of 2014 by Chizuru and Minpha of Call Me. The band completed their line-up with members from bands such as METEOROID, LucaRia, and Vared. The band, as young they are, have been quite impressive over this past year. ペンタゴン is notable for having a consistent visual appearance and prominent themes in their releases that go very well hand in hand and in their short career , they've already released a full album and 2 singles that come in various types. While 2015 was a significant year for them, they have yet to slow down and have hit 2016 in full speed. [WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL] hit the shelves on January 27th and is the band's second full-length album with an impressive track-list of 13 songs. [WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL] states its theme clearly from the start with the intro title "FRONT". Though it's more of an SE track, it's almost an asset in setting the mood for such a theme. Envision yourself coming across an abandoned mansion or house. You approach it curiously, but there's a sense of uncertainty mixed with your eagerness to explore such a sight. From the light music box and thunder to the anticipation that the strings build up, you wind up at the entrance of Ghost Hotel, and with a creak of the door, the album takes off in to our titled track "WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL". A seamless transition from the intro jumps into an upbeat and somewhat heavy set of guitar riffs accented with a unique accordion tune and chanting. It's a mildly chaotic song that makes a big entrance for the story they seem to have for this theme. We've heard "少年ワルツ" (Shounen Waltz) before from the single, but it fits right in with the on-going theme. Ghosts and spirits are remnants of a past time, so the vintage distortion to the vocals in the beginning add a nice touch. "Believe" is a rather confusing song, both placement wise and the way it was written. Aside from the somewhat spooky techno in the beginning, it's made up of very common VK riffs. Though the vocal melody is somewhat solid, the key change takes the setting in a different direction that pulls away from the creepy and spooky theme they started with. While it may not exactly fit the theme, it does seem to be a song that may have been composed with live shows in mind. "Here I am" is also a song that doesn't give the same feeling as the beginning of this album, though it transitions well from "Believe". This song is a lot lighter and lifting, which is quite the opposite of what is expected from this release. However, it serves justice as a nice power ballad with strong vocals. Another rough transition brings us to "Jesus Phobia", a sort of circus-y sounding song with powerful screams, a signature music box in the background, and a relevant key change. Once "素晴らしい「教育」"(Subarashii 「kyouiku」) drops, the setting changes to a waltzing ballroom dance. The setting of the album was consistent enough to transition into this song and it almost fools one with its mellow intro. This song is full of psychedelic guitars, synths, and even a nifty drum solo that leads into a distorted guitar solo. The next song, "二面相シンデレラ" (Nimensou Cinderella), is another upbeat song with a prominent bass line and feels like a solid continuation of the previous track. These last two songs combined creates a new, playful and devious side of the album. Earlier we imagined entering ghost hotel and discovering the wonders inside, but those songs didn't exactly give a sense of direct contact with what presented itself. The combination of the previous two tracks represent that interaction in a playful ballroom dance where whatever malicious being or figures do show themselves and, for lack of a better word, toy around with their visitors to humor themselves perhaps. "テツキズ "(Tetsukizu) transitions well, but doesn't quite hit home with the theme or its generic alternative riffs backed up with drumming on the offbeat. However, the piano is a nice touch. It's not a bad song, but it's forgettable. "冬唄" ( Fuyuuta) is a slower song that fits better with the vibe this album should have, but it feels more like an ending song. Even though this track is most reliant on piano,ペンタゴン do quite well at enhancing the build up to a piano and vocal melody duet. The build and anticipation in this song is favorable with the contrast of soft verses and phrases that have more prominent guitar, bass and drum work that makes the track swell with power. "踏切迷子 "(Fumikiri Maigo) starts strong and follows the last track well until the chorus key change. Something with the instrumentals and key that the vocals are in sounds off ever-so slightly. Other than that, every other element in this song fits well with the concept and offers probably the most pleasing guitar solo on the whole album. "デジャヴパニック" ( Deja-vu Panic) starts to wrap up the album as it revisits a few similar instrumental motifs from previous tracks in the beginning of the album. Don't let the intro fool you though, because this track certainly excels into the danger zone (IN A GOOD WAY!) and lives up to its name. The guitar work beautifully contrasts with the chorus' vocal melody, and when the growls and shouting happen, the double bass is tastefully used. If you like songs that have a fast paced break down at the end, this is the song for you. "勘違い革命" (Kanchigai Kakumei) doesn't feel like a goodbye song. This song feels more like an 'until next time' and doesn't give a sense of closure and may have worked better as the second to last song. The door creaking back shut at the end is a cute reference to the beginning, which brings the album full circle. To sum up the album, it had songs that clearly worked together to paint out a sort of story, but it had inconsistencies in keeping it flowing smoothly. There were songs that didn't transition well with others, but the songs on the album itself were quite good. Having a type of horror or creepy theme is difficult to maintain in 13 tracks without having to stray away to create some sort of contrast, but otherwise it could have ended up having too many songs that sounded too similar. [WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL] is certainly a good release from ペンタゴン and though it's a little rough around edges, it shows potential for even stronger releases in the future. CDJapan | HMV

Tracklist: 1. Everlasting 2. BLACK ROSE 3. Collapsed Connection 4. Enough. 5. THE AGENCY OF PROVIDENCE 6. Maladjusted Child | A rush of energy spiced with a hint of chaotic undertones that barely falls short THE EGOIST was formed from the members of a live-limited band by the name of Limited「E=」featuring members from LiLiCAL and @NNIVERSARY on the 10th of October 2015 and are currently signed to ROCKSTAR RECORDS. Some are already familiar with the Vocalist Rouis who came from a band of a similar name エゴis≒徒 (Egoist) and guitarist セツナ (Setsuna) from LiLiCAL. They announced soon after that they were releasing their first mini-album and debut release EMBLEM which came out on the 12th of December 2015. With the experience of their line-up does this mini-album express their style and sound well? There's only one way to find out! The opening track "Everlasting" starts with a cascade of solid drumming and a slight ethereal guitar riff mingled with a nice bass line that carries the song along before the vocals kick in and it melts in a very solid song with Rouis giving a nice sample of his vocal range; especially the mixed in whispers throughout which I feel melt in with the song quite nicely. The track isn't extremely heavy even with a taste of screams thrown into the bridge before bringing you along on a trip with a tasty guitar solo and taking you to your stop back to the chorus. I feel this song is a great opener and leads you in the next song smoothly. The next track "BLACK ROSE" starts with another great guitar riff and the slightly rough vocals that explode into a nice scream which leads into the great energy that keeps on strong. The bass throughout is amazing and even the drumming remains strong until the mid-point of the track. It then melts into another fantastic guitar solo with a heavy breakdown that carries you back to the chorus. "Collapsed Connection" is a bit heavier and it makes that quite obvious right at the start with the slightly chaotic guitar mingled with heavy bass and drumming. The vocals kick in and through the song they occasionally add a nice filter to it and I never feel overwhelmed by as it's not overused. The pace of this song fits with the chaotic style of the music and it keeps up the strong energy of the mini-album. The next song on the album does not disappoint with "Enough." opening with a clapping beat and a similar filter on the vocals as the previous track. That is soon taken over by an extremely lively bass line that explodes into a charging heavier tone of screaming vocals and music. It dips into a jazzy beat with more of the filtered vocals which go back the nice rough whispered tones that Rouis does so well and transitions you into the chorus spiced so nicely with sweet bass lines. I feel this song stands out in a very solid and energetic mini-album and shows off the musical talent of the entire band especially after Rouis sings "You're asking for it" and it explodes into an even heavier breakdown until the end of the song smoothly transitioning you into the next track, "THE AGENCY OF PROVIDENCE". The song keeps up with the high energy of the album and continues to follow the even heavier pace that was started with the previous track. There are more robotic filters used with the vocals throughout but it never feels overused as it's only sprinkled into just the right places. I mostly enjoyed the song up to the point where Rouis lets out an insane laugh and it roars into another chaotic breakdown but then falls short when it transitions back to the chorus. The chorus doesn't stand out well in this song as it's mostly just "the agency of providence~" over and over again and feels like cookie-cutter clean vocals that you hear from most current visual bands. With the last track "Maladjusted Child" I was worried it was going to be an obligatory ballad-type song but it surprised me. It doesn't follow the same chaotic style featured through the rest of the album and is a great closer. The smooth bass line sets the mood for the song and is partnered with great drumming that keeps up the calmer pace. The vocals emit the darker emotion of the entire track, especially the rough crooning that picks up during the chorus and fits in perfectly, carrying you to the end of the album. THE EGOIST came out of the gate with a very solid and energetic debut release. Even though there was a very slight shortcoming in the latter half of the album it wasn't enough to ruin the release for me. It does a very good job of showcasing the band's talents and I was happy it wasn't overtaken with excessive filters and the complete lack of djent "bleep-bloop" left me with a very good taste in my mouth. It also didn't get stuck into trying to be super metalcore but instead feels like the direction some Visual-Kei bands need to take a step in. If you're looking for some heavier styled high energy music, then EMBLEM is definitely what you're looking for. -Support the artist! Buy it here!- Brand-X CD Japan

Tracklist: 1. OUSIA 2. THE WORLD IS MY ROOM 3. 赫音-finis- (guitar & bass re-recording & full remix) 4. 失い (guitar & bass re-recording & full remix) 5. TRIPPER (guitar & bass re-recording & full remix) 6. RUVISH 7. DEJECTED RAIN (new arrange) 8. 赫音-justitia- (guitar & bass re-recording & full remix) 9. BLIND DAYS 10. THE HOPELESS | I came for OUSIA and found some other goodies worth staying for too! For better or for worse, I've stayed away from following the activities of THE BLACK SWAN too closely. I've been under the impression for the longest that they are another one of those bands - gaudy outfits, heavy guitars, formulaic songs, and a step above awful but nothing exciting that catch my attention. My fears stemmed from how bad NEGA burned out near the end of their career. They excelled at this gothic creepiness during their Rebirth Under the Chaos to approximately Grave of the Sacrifice era which was mostly lost when metalcore took the wheel. THE BLACK SWAN, in contrast, suffer from no such burnout. They succeed at recording genuine depression and pain. It feels much like NEGA during that time period mostly due to sharing a vocalist, but with OUSIA -dispersed- THE BLACK SWAN breaks away from the confines that NEGA never could. It's that rare album that despite its flaws did the near-impossible feat of taking a band I once thought was derivative and making them definitive (or at least demonstrating that these members are more talented and creative than I had given them credit for). "OUSIA" is eleven minutes of perfection. Opethian riffs are supported by progressive song structures that echo Dir en grey's "Macabre" and Nega's "虚しき「生」の寓意≒「死」の真意", but with enough flair and personality to be its own creation. The guest feature of 優(yuu)(ex-NEGA) on piano is impossible to miss, managing to work in an atmosphere this band usually doesn't go for. The great use of piano, acoustic, and electronic elements keeps the song entertaining for all eleven minutes and every member (even Jin) gets a moment to shine. Yuu's guest appearance makes this song, but the guitarists are the reason why I continue to revisit. They may be no Hizaki, but their virtuosity is something to behold as well; the amount of solos in this song alone are ridiculous. This is how you use influences! No matter how many solos they throw into the mix to spice things up, Jin will likely make or break the experience. For me, this is his best and most consistent performance in recent memory. He's found the best way to harmonize with the music without sounding out of place. The worst thing I can pin on him is hitting a few sour notes here and there. Late album banger "DEJECTED RAIN" is a wonderful example of this. Jin shows his versatility as a vocalist with his arsenal of mumbling, banshee shrieks, and harmonizing. It impresses me enough to look past his limited singing range, and backed by a wicked riff it's one of the best songs on the album. Before my hopes for a progressive visual kei band fully blossomed, reality came crashing through the window. There are more than a few flaws with OUSIA -dispersed-, one of them being that there seems to be little thought put into the track list beyond putting the best one first. "OUSIA" should be somewhere towards the middle to end of the album. The follow-up song "THE WORLD IN MY ROOM" is a discordant mess where the band never feels like they're on the same page. "TRIPPER" would be cool if it weren't for those awful eight measures both a minute in and after the solo that sound so lame compared to the rest of the song. "赫音-finis-" and "赫音-justitia-" have cool melodies but don't stick with me otherwise. Ending the album on a core note with "THE HOPELESS" was the last of many strange choices. Of all the styles they showcase on this album they end with the least impressive one. As far as things sound, I would be wrong to not mention that OUSIA -dispersed- is the latest victim of the loudness war. It is very loud and the music sounds constrained on everything but my most expensive pair of headphones. It hurts to listen to after a few tracks honestly and considering the length this is a problem. The biggest offender by far in the mix is the sound of that bass pedal. It should sound more like a hollow thud or distant rumble and less like a typewriter to be most effective. The typewriter's clack permeates every track and takes quite a bit of power away from the metal. Despite some missteps OUSIA -dispersed- is a very competent album with more than a few tracks worth revisiting. Among my immediate favorites are the title track, "失い", "DEJECTED RAIN", and "BLIND DAYS". It positively improved my opinion of this band by leaps and bounds. If this is an unfinished product, I can't wait to hear what the whole thing sounds like as intended.

Artist: the GazettE Album: DOGMA 1. NIHIL 8. INCUBUS 2. DOGMA 9. LUCY 3. RAGE 10. GRUDGE 4. DAWN 11. PARALYSIS 5. DERACINE 12. DEUX 6. BIZARRE 13. BLEMISH 7. WASTELAND 14. OMINOUS Rating: | After 13 years, "Gazerock" is officially whatever the band wants it to be. If you're ever having a bad day, remember that time we waited five months for the most underwhelming album of the year. Let's ignore for a second that DOGMA is ARCHE, Iowa-era Slipknot, and a quarter of DIM shoved in a blender and served cold with a side of drop A chugging. The marketing campaign behind this was stellar, and for five months it was the lack of details surrounding this album that sparked my curiosity the most. Just a few weeks before release, the band revealed "OMINOUS" as a teaser. For a brief second, a flash of light shone through the heavens as the hype seemed justified and the band was poised to deliver something interesting. "NIHIL" even began the experience as I had anticipated, only for dubstep to emerge halfway through to set all my hopes and dreams on fire. I was in so much disbelief, I curled into the fetal position and muttered "What the fuck is this?" to no one in particular. That one minute encapsulates my journey with this band for the last five years, and when the crushing main riff of "DOGMA" kicked in I felt like I was left holding the bag after a bait and switch operation. This isn't what I signed up for. This isn't what this was billed as. But I'm not one to judge a book by its cover - or in this case an album by its case - and I proceeded to give the rest of the album a listen. If it had matched even a quarter of my expectations and contained a song similar to "DIM SCENE", "千鶴" (Chizuru), "体温" (Taion), or "泣ヶ原" (Nakigahara), we would be having a very different conversation right now. If it was at the very least a darker, more moody companion to 2013's BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY, I would have waved the intro off. It was neither. What followed was a most unremarkable collection of metalcore. Despite the fact that everything between tracks three and thirteen blend into one another, all is not lost. I found the vocals at their most inspired and energetic in years. On songs like "DERACINE", Ruki's vocal melodies are the most memorable thing of all. I haven't been able to say that in years! The GazettE have also remembered that they have two guitarists, and have returned to utilizing both of them to great effect. There's also an obvious attempt at focusing on one thing and doing it well - except in this case it's perhaps too focused. The lack of a ballad or even a mid-tempo rock number to change the pace exposes the one-dimensional nature of the album and makes it feel longer than it already is. They even titled the songs in all caps with edgy one word phrases like "PARALYSIS" or "BIZARRE". No other track prioritizes atmosphere and melody over pure aggression like "OMINOUS", which as far as I'm concerned is the only track you need. I could dig deep if I wanted and point out minor flaws in specific tracks, but that would require another listen or two and the replay value for DOGMA is low. All of those criticisms have been lost to the haze that was this album. I have some fun during a listening session, but it quickly fades from memory as soon as it's done. Fun does not equate to a good album. The simple facts are that there's nothing new or distinctly "the GazettE" to see here. I'm half convinced this facade was forced by the band because it's been a while and the old has become new once again. Given some time, I believe DOGMA will wear thin much faster than other albums in their discography. Diving head first into metal has yielded mixed results. DOGMA is an album purely for the biggest of GazettE lovers and metal fans. If this particular brand of Visual Kei metalcore appeals to you, this is your album. As for me, it's another uninspired, soon to be forgotten entry in the GazettE's bloated discography. Support the band! Purchase DOGMA from CD JAPAN

Artist: lynch. Album: D.A.R.K. -in the name of evil- 1. INTRODUCTION 8. FALLEN 2. D.A.R.K. 9. BEAST 3. ANTARES 10. INVADER 4. EVOKE 11. COSMOS 5. GHOST 12. MELANCHOLIC 6. ILLUMINATI 13. MOON 7. ETERNITY Rating: | DARK is a breath of fresh air for this great band! lynch.'s last studio album GALLOWS is what brought me back out looking for my VK renaissance. By falling so short of expectations creatively, it reminded me what made me so avid about listening to these bands almost ten years ago. Since then I have come to MH, and delved far deeper into the scene, creating healthy distance from such established names as lynch. and the GazettE. By late 2015 I was more than ready to get back into what lynch. had to offer, but following the EVOKE and ETERNITY singles I was concerned whether I would be even further disappointed by their strict, uniform sound.I was happily proven wrong as the new album is well laid out and shows commendable creative efforts. "INTRODUCTION", a piano based SE, serves to at least be stronger and more ominous than "GALLOWS". At less than one minute, it sets a suitable atmosphere but does little more than that. Deep, rhythmical guitars usher in a true example of what the album means by 'DARK'. Appropriately spooky synth sounds accompany the stark guitar/piano combination of "D.A.R.K". while Hazuki lays out safe but still impressive vocals. A decent chorus keeps this title track among my top played for this album. The first experiment on D.A.R.K. is "GHOST", which opens up very smooth and relaxed. The main guitar riff is energetic without losing a swing quality which is more playful than the band usually allows. Mostly for Hazuki, I see this is a bit out of the comfort zone of current lynch.. It's quite interesting and entertaining and I hope they do more with this influence in the future. The creepy, carnival sample at the beginning of "ILLUMINATI" was immediately one of my favourite sounds from the album. Sporting of course an eerie and topical title to live up to, it pops out another very standard lynch. riff. The harsh vocals here remind me much more of those heard on INFERIORITY COMPLEX, which is nice to have present on the album. I love that the song breaks back to the same sample from the opening and the subsequent breakdown section is reinvigorating. The chorus hampers the evil on this one, not to say it won't get stuck in your head. Our feature track and PV for the album itself, "BEAST" is high energy and old school lynch. harsh vocals. When the full version of the song was released prior to the album, I was underwhelmed. In the context of the full album however, it comes in at a welcome time following softer tracks. A heavier section before the final chorus provides a bit of garnish but nothing to drastically change the nature of the song. "FALLEN" is one of my immediate favorites on this album, it baffles me why they would choose to dwarf the impact of the previous song even more by following it with a much more emotionally impactful ballad. I got a little emotional with this one. It's among my most repeated songs on the album. Thundering bass drum and resonating signature guitar work with the vocals retaining the same or similar melody throughout the track giving it an intimate appeal. I appreciate the simplicity of "FALLEN" similarly to "BE STRONG" (from EXODUS), but surely even more so. "FALLEN" proves to be one of my favorite lynch. songs in recent memory (even recalling such former releases that "ETERNITY" failed to live up to). "INVADER" starts off with a quick, twangy bass line kicks off what is sure to be a live favourite in years to come. It also consists of mostly spoken lyrics and aggressive instrumentals one can liken to the revving engine of a muscle car. A very simplistic chorus is framed by shout-and-response energy and closes out as suddenly as it began. @Shir0 complained to me endlessly about the short track length of this one, and I feel her pain. However lynch. is known to include such short numbers in their full albums ("EXODUS" or "TIAMAT" being prime examples). The faded, far-off chorus preview effectively sets up the intensity of "COSMOS". Marching to the rhythm of a powerful breakdown. I was initially concerned that D.A.R.K. wouldn't feature anything dynamic enough to compare to title tracks "EXODUS" and "GALLOWS". "COSMOS" does so much more during the first harsh vocals, the instrumental stays relentless and offers varying riffs before returning to an admittedly powerful chorus. I do like and appreciate how the final chorus tapers out into something quite dainty with a falsetto note only to be followed by an uncompromising roar from Hazuki while once again blasting what is likely the band's strongest breakdown. Then there are tracks that didn't resonate with me as well as I wished. "ANTARES" is a song which I, for some reason, was expecting to be heavier - perhaps due to a misleading preview. The guitar work is strong, but the progression lacks the punch I was truly hoping for out of the faster songs lynch. produces and a decidedly weak chorus shows itself within 30 seconds. The latter half of this song features a pleasing heavy section but nothing lynch.'s followers haven't already heard. Thus far, it still hasn't called for repeat plays and is usually skipped. Upon its release, I was quite apathetic toward the album's first single "EVOKE". However, placed next to a similarly mid-range song like "ANTARES", it has a chance to shine as a strong example of typical lynch. On the flip side of these featured singles, we have "ETERNITY", a song that I literally forgot to type in the track list of this review. There's a little insight into my experience with the second featured single on D.A.R.K.. There is nothing technical to critique, only that it seems like a strained effort. The solo Hazuki PV was not what one expects from lynch., I have followed the band through similar featured singles like "MIRRORS". There is just very little to talk about. It's a song I may have appreciated more had I not already been an avid listener. The intensity of "COSMOS" warranted the most relaxing ballad track possible, making "MELANCHOLIC" a success. Soft, chiming guitar strokes create a cascading sound akin to the visual of falling water. It comes off very well written, but in comparison to "FALLEN" it does not endear itself so soon. In the third minute, the melodies become emotionally deeper, certainly worth waiting for by the track length. Surprisingly, despite being longer than either one, this song seems to come and go more quickly than "FALLEN" or "ETERNITY". This is not entirely a bad thing as I chalk this up to its position on the album and purpose in its progression. It's an honest, fun but disdainfully lighthearted finale to the album. I hear a lot being packed into the sound of the intro of "MOON" but everything subsequent feels quite basic in its catchiness. Like many of the mid-range songs on this, there is a banging heavy section late in the track but at this point in the album there is unfortunately nothing new here. It's not a bad song by any means, but as a memorable album closer, I see "MOON" as a misfire. Coming out of D.A.R.K., I find myself far more satisfied than with my experiences with the band's last few albums. It offers the dynamic focus of GALLOWS while providing enough intrigue per song to make them distinct, something that's infinitely valuable to lynch. who sport waning Nagoya visuals and often seem far removed from the Visual Kei fan base in which they were born. I would certainly recommend D.A.R.K. not only to those looking for renewed hope in the potential of lynch. but even to those open-minded metal fans in an effort to show something agreeable, interesting and undeniably talented. Being exactly a month old to this date, it has already proven its shelf life beyond my personal expectations. Support the band! Purchase D.A.R.K. on CDJapan!

Artist: 摩天楼オペラ (Matenrou Opera) Single: BURNING SOUL 1. BURNING SOUL 2. EMPEROR 3. アブサン (Absinthe) Rating: | Matenrou Opera is set to burn the competition up! This year has been an interesting one for our boys in 摩天楼オペラ. Starting off strong with the incredible "Ether", they set high expectations for their new elemental-themed album era. However, their following three singles of the elements wind, water, and earth fell short of those expectations. It was quite a let down as they are among my favorite active bands today and typically rock the longer songs without losing my interest, but these elemental singles just felt half-hearted and long for the sake of being long. Wrapping up this consecutive single quintet with the fire element was an astounding idea. "Burning Soul" brings to life the passion that the band so clearly had in their last few eras. The title track has several different movements that all make sense in the context of a song of average length. The only questionable aspect of the song is Sono　yelling towards the beginning and the end. I find him to be an excellent singer, but not particularly good at anything even close to harsh vocals. That being said, the rest of the single continues to live up to the expectations set by the previews. Sono's vocals are pretty consistent whether they're screamed or not, which is refreshing. "Emperor" has a twinge more edge to it, with a pretty decent guitar solo, which in comparison to what we know Anzi can do is a bit understated. However, it flows well with the energy of the song. Additionally, there's more electronic influences in this song which is anticipated due to the fact they have a keyboard player, but we rarely ever hear him use actual electronic music in lieu of the kinds of synths we hear in the final track, "アブサン" (Absinthe). Instead of providing energy to the track, the keyboards set the mood. "アブサン" has an immense presence; the intro is rather foreboding leading into one of the catchier visual rock songs I've heard in recent memory. Again, the only complaint is with Sono's "yelling". Yelling is really the only word to describe it. It's less of a harsh, threatening scream and more of an attempt to yell. Otherwise, the song's mood fits in well with the single as a whole. All very hard rock and appropriately heavy when needed, melodic and catchy, but most importantly: memorable. Support the band! Purchase BURNING SOUL maxi-single here and support the band!

Artist: Kamijo Title: Royal Blood~Revival Best~ 1. Emblem 2. Imperial Concerto 3. 薔薇は美しく散る (Bara wa Utsukushiku Chiru) 4. Aristocrat's Symphony 5. 蝶の花 (Chou no Hana) 6. Audrey 7. この世で一番美しい薔薇よ (Kono Yo de Ichiban Utsukushii Bara Yo) 8. 冬東京 (Fuyu Tokyo) 9. Heel 10. God Palace 11. Royal Blood Rating: | Looking back with rose colored glasses In celebration of his 20th year performing, Kamijo released two new albums: 20th Anniversary All Time Best～革命の系譜～ (Kakumei no Keifu, a collection album of songs from his past bands) and Royal Blood ～Revival Best～. While an anniversary collection is not surprising, as many big artists do this at important landmarks in their careers, an album of songs from older bands is fairly unusual. A collection of songs from old bands that are also completely rewritten is even rarer. Royal Blood ～Revival Best～ is a gift to long-time fans in more ways than one, and it breathes new life into the classics Kamijo has written. As shown by the tracklist above, Royal Blood is a mixture of songs from Lareine, Versailles, New Sodmy, and 3 (and a half) new original tracks. All of the older songs are more than remade—they’re reinterpreted. For example, “Aristocrat’s Symphony” has been stripped down of it’s grandiose symphonic metal roots and has been turned into a slower ballad accompanied completely by orchestral arrangement, whereas “薔薇は美しく散る” was turned into a fast paced, yet flowery, metal song. The degree in which songs were reimagined varies greatly, however. For example, the new version of “God Palace” has very little different in arrangement aside from the guitar solo, which was made to sound a lot more like a solo that could be found on the Jealousy album. While much of the instrumental parts are largely the same, it is fairly obvious that the lead guitar is not Hizaki as the guitar timbre changed and the general delivery is less show-y. That doesn’t make Kamijo’s entrance after the solos are over, with a resounding “WATASHI WAAAAAAAA,” any less stupendous. Of all the reimaginations, “薔薇は美しく散る,” “冬東京,” and “Imperial Concerto” were my favorites. As mentioned above, the first has been reinterpreted to be more metallic than the orginal without really losing much of it it’s original flare. My only gripe with this song is that he removed the musical equivalent to the gaussian blur filter used in this ABBA music video that used to grace the middle of the song. I’ve also added a new favorite Lareine song to my repertoire, which is 蝶の花 (Chou no Hana). I love the gentleness of this song and its simple beauty in the chorus. After listening to the original, it is safe to say this is more or less just an updated version—no crazy metal renditions of this song were done. I will say, though, that I was floored by the new version of 冬 東京 (Fuyu Tokyo). The new introduction is just magical and the overall rendition just brings this song to life in a completely new way. These are all examples of remakes done right—what I want are old tracks remade in a new way and Kamijo gave me exactly what I was looking for. Viewing this album through a critical lens, it is possible to find several areas in which Royal Blood could have done better. For me, most of the shortcomings were in the new songs. It took a lot of thinking to determine if this was because I was just so impressed with the remakes that any of his new material just would easily be outshone, or if the newer tracks were actually just sub-par for what I was expecting. In the end, it was a fair mix of both for me. “この世で一番美しい薔薇よ” (Kono Yo de Ichiban Utsukushii Bara yo), as the first victim, left me unimpressed. The title itself was too close to as “薔薇は美しく散る” for me and thematically “the prettiest rose in the world” just seems trite at this point. This, coupled with a highly predictable chord progression in the main melody, didn’t leave me wanting to wake up and smell the roses. “Heel,” another new addition, was more ~experimental~; here, Kamijo tried to incorporate some tango elements into his normal compositional style with mixed results. What was odd about this was that the melody during the verse dragged on for way too long. This melody is a super drawn out vocal line where he bellows dangerously close to being dissident to the rest of the music before gingerly teetering back to safety, then repeating another two or three times. It’s like watching that game where people stab a knife in the space between their fingers quickly to freak out their mom. In this situation, I’m that mom and I am very concerned. Daredevil party tricks aside, this song does have a really nice chorus. I usually skip to it when listening to the song, though. The last new song is the title track of the album, “Royal Blood.” It originally starts off like some sort of epic symphonic piece, bold and bombastic like “Aristocrat’s Symphony” was (the original). To my surprise, it eventually mellows out to become the perfect balance of mixing all of his past bands together –Versailles guitar work and symphonic elements, Lareine guitar and vocal harmonies, and something from that one New Sodmy song, I guess. Did you guys know he was also in a band named New Sodmy? They were a thing for a bit and made music or whatever. Yep. So, basically, this song is this album’s version of “片手に夢を持つ少女” (Katate ni yume wo motsu shoujo) —an up-tempo hype song, probably used as an encore closing. All in all, Royal Blood was a great album solely for the excitement of waiting to hear old songs done anew. I was pretty bummed that Metamorphose got cut, and kind of surprised Fiancailles wasn’t included (unless he didn’t actually write that, but it was objectively Lareine’s best selling song). Maybe in the future we’ll get some more Revival Best songs, but for now, I am content with how this played out and fully expect a full effort dedicated to putting out new material soon.

Artist: Demetori Album: 愧人贖悪 ~Evil People as the True Object of Salvation~ 1. Introduction ～ Double Dealing 2. ラストリモート ～ Type A Personality 3. リバースイデオロギー ～ The Antinomy of Ideology 4. アリスマエステラ ～ Flow My Tears,the Said 5. 無何有の郷 ～ Grief of Ressentiment 6. 広有射怪鳥事 ～ Till When? 7. Intro:The Shining Needle Castle Sinking in the Air 8. 空中に沈む輝針城 ～ Counter-Clock World 9. 輝く針の小人族 ～ Counter-Attack of the Weak Rating: | Demetori proves that once again, quality trumps quantity. One of the only arrange bands that I still actively follow, Demetori has seen success by focusing on quality over quantity. This is saying a lot about their contemporaries more so than their particular habits. Most normal bands take a year or two break between albums but it is not uncommon to see a doujin artist release four albums in one year or to find musicians starting solo projects once they exhaust the hundreds of video game jingles associated with Project Shrine Maiden (or touhou if you will). Most of these acts disappear into obscurity faster than you can say "animated jailbait", but despite first impressions the duo have stuck to their guns with making strictly cover music since 2005. Considering how easy it is to fall off in this scene, I find their dedication and consistency incredibly impressive. Best described as Meshuggah meets power metal, 愧人贖悪 ~Evil People as the True Object of Salvation~ is their tenth and newest album, with most themes lifted from either the seventh or fourteenth Touhou video game. It's the most interesting album since 曼衍珠汝華～ Nada Upasana Pundarika, restoring a sense of confidence in the band that was missing from their last two albums. It's still the same style of metal since 2007's Il Mondo dove e finito il Tempo, but with a sense of energy and excitement I haven't heard in quite some time. 徳南 (Tokunan) is still a beast with the guitar, so much so that I feel comfortable pinning him somewhere between FAR EAST DIZAIN's LEDA and Galneryus' Syu. His brother 九宝時 (Kyuhouji), keeps his crown as the best drummer in the scene and delivers an equally as gripping performance with the percussion. Few ideas were lifted from earlier arrangements with no modifications and the ones that were are expertly done. The mid-album ballad "無何有の郷 ～ Grief of Ressentiment" is a good example of this; it sounds like it came straight from 2006's 如臨深遠 ～雨縒煙柳～. The wealth of new ideas and the appearance of some uncommon melodies extends the life of this album by a good amount. The paradoxical thing about doujin music is that what gives it its charm also holds it back. It will rarely be seen as anything more than "epic rock video game music", and despite the technical proficiency of the Teramae brothers 愧人贖悪 ~Evil People as the True Object of Salvation~ is no exception. Demetori's answer to this problem is to add more of their own ideas to the melodies that they cover, complementing the original melodies to create something that feels familiar but still fresh. It's very much an instrumental shred fest - it always has and it always will be - but sometimes the video game melodies don't make for the best rock or metal melodies. It can be tricky to bring them together without sounding contrived. For the most part they were successful with adapting the melodies to fit the metal motif, but there are still those awkward thematic or mood transitions here and there that make you roll your eyes. However, it's nothing that gets in the way of enjoying the album to the fullest. The perfect album for those into insane guitar solos, instrumental hard rock, doujin arranges, or just something to pump you up in general! Support the band! 愧人贖悪 ~Evil People as the True Object of Salvation~

Artist: D Single: HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY 1. HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY 2. Funny Bunny! 3. HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY (Instrumental) 4. Funny Bunny! (Instrumental) 5. レピドプテラ (Lepidoptera) 6. レピドプテラ (Lepidoptera) (Instrumental) 7. 兎角國の蟹 (Tokakukuni no Kani) 8. 兎角國の蟹 (Tokakukuni no Kani) (Instrumental) 9. HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY (Wonderland Remix ver.) Rating: | Hey, I can dig this! I'll come clean right now and say that I've never been able to appreciate D. I have listened to both VAMPIRE SAGA and Genetic World out of curiosity after noticing their popularity a while back but neither left an impression on me. As of 2015, their latest look sparked my interest for the second time. The Alice in Wonderland influenced attire went down well in my eyes because it meant a change not just in appearance, but sound too. I saw a chance and I took it. It's a welcome change for those, such as myself, who couldn't quite get into them before. The concept of the single is just the tip of the iceberg. With four out of nine of the tracks being instrumental (all types-wise), I don't find the music as noteworthy when stripped of Asagi apart from the very cool and neat parts of riffs, especially in the title track. What it does manage to do without much effort is show off this fantasy-like world they're conveying, and that's evident throughout, so kudos to the guys for keeping this concept running strong. "HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY" and "Funny Bunny!" are definitely deserving of the top spot on the single in every way. The choruses are fun, catchy, and most importantly, have replay value. They're two sides of the same coin: "Funny Bunny" has its hyperactive, SuG-like chorus while also filled with growls and aggressive, heavy playing from the whole band. It's a perfect mix. "HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY" oozes with goodness from start to end, sounding very much like disbanded Oshare Kei groups. Its flow is far more steady than the title track, and plays almost like an anime theme song because of its structure and sound. Asagi's vocals in "レピドプテラ (Lepidoptera)" are deeper here than anywhere else in the single. This really goes well with its opening sound that encourages Halloween-y imagery. The chorus has a very charming pitch. It's not as sugar coated as the previous two tracks, but the playful beat is still rather Oshare Kei sounding. The verses make the track seem to have a climactic build, almost like it's been ripped out from Disney's Notre Dame's finale. It sounds quite mismatched, starting out with spooky atmosphere that jumps suddenly to a poppier chorus. While at times it may come off as jumbled, at least it doesn't stay in one lane like "兎角國の蟹 (Tokakukuni no Kani)". If "レピドプテラ (Lepidoptera)" didn't have any of its charms I pointed out above, then it'd sound like "兎角國の蟹 (Tokakukuni no Kani)". The only welcome inclusion the track has is Asagi's high pitched vocals that I was missing. Track nine was the only song I was worried about, seeing as it's titled as a remix: "HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY (Wonderland Remix Ver.)", but even that isn't as diabolical as I was expecting. The chorus is actually double the fun from the original! You're winning me over, D. Possibly the one most obvious catch with this sound change is the lack of Asagi showing off. From what I've heard of D, his vibrato, growls and high pitched vocals are almost non-existent in this single, apart from certain sections in only two tracks. You have the operatic appeal with background group vocals here and there, so it's still D but just coated with Tinkerbell's fairy dust. While the majority may not be fond of this latest addition to their discography, think of those like myself who could never get into their music because it didn't do it for us. Now with a change of pace, this is the starting point, for myself and possibly others to finally enjoying the band. What doesn't do it for one person can be a blessing for another, and I believe this single is a fine example of this. Support the band! CDJapan Japanese iTunes

Artist: ARTEMA Album: ARTEMATE PARTY 1. Fighting Dreamer 2. Starting Over 3. Trade Off 4. TAKE ME OUT 5. FLY HIGH 6. INFINITE PARTY 7. ROLL OUT 8. To The New World 9. Stronger 10. 5:00AM 11. ONE -Let It Die- Rating: | They don't party like they used to. So far, ARTEMA have been doing a good job of retaining their pre-major label electronicore leanings mixed with melodic pop. Their debut album proved they could tone things down without losing their unique sound, and their second showed us they weren't afraid to go even heavier while they mixed it up with the big boys. I had every expectation ARTEMATE PARTY would follow a similar route and continue to build off of ARTEMA's staple "Kiracore" style. As it turns out, I was wrong about that. ARTEMATE PARTY brings us back, possibly with even more pop arrangements, to their self-titled release territory. This one offers a more mature sound, but it also feels more reserved at the same time. The problem here is that they took away aspects of themselves that stood out from the plethora of radio ready electronic rock that is overrunning the airwaves right now. It has them blending too much into their competition. And as an added side effect, it also made their new songs sound way too much like each other. "Fighting Dreamer" is an opener that's pretty typical for ARTEMA's major singles. Like the ones before it, it stays in the electronic rock field with a breakdown thrown in for added spice. The breakdown itself isn't all that neck-breaking or original, and it's awkwardly cleaved against the following guitar solo. This also keeps everything fairly tame. But the video is fun, and you do get the general idea of what ARTEMA are about. In the past, a single like this would be the lightest and most straightforward song on the album. That is not the case here. The painfully repetitious "Starting Over" along with blatant Fear, in Loathing in Las Vegas worship in "ROLL OUT" stay fairly mellow as well. I single these songs out because in the context of the album they begin to sound like unnecessary filler. One of the other issues is that they expose the melodic limitations of vocalist, Meg. He's a wonderful screamer, but his singing range is limited, and the more melodic ARTEMA become, the more he relies on extremely similar vocal arrangements. This cluster of tracks are a glaring representation of this. As well as the closing track, "ONE -Let It Die-" which is especially unmemorable, so much that it takes away from the entire album due to its placement. But don't get me wrong, ARTEMATE PARTY is not all bad, it just takes a little time to get the party officially started. "Trade Off" and "TAKE ME OUT" in succession do have a good energy about them with fun atmosphere. They also set up "FLY HIGH" to come in and finally work a nice blend of what's popular with what ARTEMA know how to do well. The catchy vocal melody is great for singing along, and it works in harmony with the punchy drum beat to get people jumping. This song is perfect to tear up a live house. "INFINITE PARTY" builds right off of that sentiment as it fuses some legit house music into electrocore and results in one of the first "big drop"/hardcore breakdowns I've ever heard out of the Japanese scene. The rest of the track may not be anything new, but the breakdown alone is worth giving it a spin. Not only did the band push a harder techno vibe with some of the songs, they even tread into nu-metal territory with "Stronger" incorporating a rap-style vocal delivery. The record as a whole has a much more modern pop feel than previous works. ARTEMA are coming to a crossroads and trying to work on expanding their arsenal of genres, but the direction of ARTEMATE PARTY suffers from being a bit lost in the process. Even with all the filler, the band doesn't sound as if they are losing any of their fighting spirit just yet. Though this might have been much stronger as an EP with leftover b-side material, in the end. I worry many old school fans won't have a strong reaction to this album, as they may be holding a candle for their heavier side much like I do. However, a few of the tunes have "grower" potential, so it's definitely an album they should give an honest chance. Support the band! ARTEMATE PARTY on CDJapan ARTEMATE PARTY on HMV ARTEMATE PARTY on YesAsia

Artist: 和楽器バンド (Wagakki-Band) Album: 八奏絵巻 (Yasou Emaki) 1. 戦 -ikusa- 9. 暁ノ糸 (Akatsuki no Ito) 2. 星月夜 (Hoshi tsuki yo) 10. 白斑 (Hakuhan) 3. Perfect Blue 11. なでしこ桜 (Nadeshiko Zakura) 4. 追憶 (Tsuioku) 12. 反撃の刃 (Hangeki no Yaiba) 5. 鋼 -HAGANE- 13. 千本桜 (Senbonzakura) 6. 風鈴の唄うたい (Furin no Utautai) 14. 華振舞 (Hanafurumai) 7. 華火 (Hanabi) 15. 地球最後の告白を (Chikyu Saigo no Kokuhaku wo) 8. 郷愁の空 (Kyosyu no Sora) Rating: | Another breath of fresh air blows from Japan! Nothing seems poised to stop the powerhouse that is 和楽器バンド (Wagakki Band). The fusion of shigin, wagakki, and modern rock has not failed to impress me yet. "戦-ikusa-", "反撃の刃", and "なでしこ桜" have already been utilized as tie-ins for three anime, their music videos have impressive CGI and appear to have quite a hefty budget, their outfits certainly aren't cheap, and the packaging for their second album 八奏絵巻 (Yasou Emaki) even comes with a USB katana! That's just awesome. They've been steadily making waves and are the last rock band since Malice Mizer to garner enough national attention to go from fringe curiosity to major label act in three years. I've never had anything negative to say about them, except perhaps that they haven't recorded enough music. It's a common sentiment among everyone I know that give this band some spin time, so this is an album I've been waiting on for some time. I'm glad to say it's everything I expected and then some.The transition between playing covers and writing music has been seamless. So much so that it's not clear at first what's a cover and what's new. But what's more impressive is how 和楽器バンド have gained an almost chameleon ability to swap atmospheres without losing their core sound. It's the only thing which keeps them from cornering themselves stylistically. This speaks well to how creative they are as musicians for being able to diversify so much without breaking their theme. 八奏絵巻 starts with their most straightforward rock anthem, "戦 -ikusa-", and from there the compositions and techniques increase in scope and complexity. "Perfect Blue" may even be the most eclectic blend of wagakki and rock I've heard thus far, and the trading between shamisen player 蜷川べに (Beni Ninagawa) with the vocalists during the chorus really takes things to the next level. However, do not confuse this "scope and complexity" with experimenting. Undeniable stylistic resemblances surface in tracks like "華振舞" and "華火", but the amount of control the wagakki assert over their style ensures that any resemblances don't come off as different variations of one song. It helps that they are deeply integrated into the performance of each track as well, never feeling like an afterthought or a gimmick. While they can swap atmospheres successfully without losing their identities, they're at their best when they're dark, mystical, and push the rock side of their sound to the max. It is those moments when the band comes to life. The progressive, unorthodox "暁ノ糸" is a perfect example of this. The subdued opening hints at something larger before all hell breaks loose and the frantic race to the climax begins. The shakuhachi and koto are important instruments in defining their sound, and both stick out during the rising action especially in this song. It's definitely one of the best songs on the album and was a great choice for a music video. "白斑" and "反撃の刃" are other highlights of the album, providing similar but equally satisfying experiences, and will appeal to those who prefer the more direct approach of the band. I also can't forget to mention "千本桜" (which at this point is effectively their anthem, sorry Hatsune Miku), which in it's third iteration has been retrofitted with additional guitar strumming and better sound staging. It's the little details like this that add to the experience of the album and make it more than just good. The twin vocalist dynamic is one of the defining elements of their sound. Lead shigin singer 鈴華ゆう子 (Yuuko Suzuhana) gets the bulk of my praise for her expressive, emotive delivery. She shines brightest on the ballad "風鈴の唄うたい" but impresses with satisfying performances on every song. Her range and her ability to switch between enka delivery and regular singing is incredible, and her vocal melodies are sure to get stuck in your head. What is not to be missed are the efforts of 町屋 (Machiya), the guitarist and backing vocalist. He doesn't have as much range as ゆう子, but his voice is quite pleasant anyway. The two complement each other in a way that would make Kuroneko and Matatabi from heavy metal cousins 陰陽座 (Onmyouza) proud, and 町屋 even successfully takes lead vocal duties on "郷愁の空"! They've got the looks, accessories, and budgets visual bands would kill for. They've got the musical chops to keep their mini orchestra together and they've got the creativity to turn their gimmick into a theme. It's never been a safer time to join the fanboy wave. Support the band! Purchase 八奏絵巻 and other albums are available for purchase on CDJapan

Artist: 凛として時雨 (ling tosite sigure) Album: es or s 1. SOSOS 2. Mirror Frustration 3. Karma Siren 4. Tornado Mystery 5. end roll fiction Rating: | SOSOS send ling some help! Ling tosite sigure (凛として時雨) albums have always been a spectacle. Rewind back to 2007 - their second full album Inspiration is DEAD was just released and for me, listening to it was like being unwittingly thrust into a pool of chilly water. I hated it at first, but the longer I immersed myself in it, the more comfortable I became and I eventually began enjoying it. There was something irresistibly charming about an indie-rock band that sounded like angsty chipmunks, yet brandished the kind of instrumental prowess found in extreme metal. As much as I wanted to shun it, I kept coming back. The following year, they dropped their first single and I was completely sold. Every release after that was a complete thrill to sink your teeth into; you never knew what crazy riff TK would come up with, if Miyoko would sing more, or how the band would push their sound to new heights. The only thing certain was that Ling's new material would end up somewhere on your list at the end of the year. Fast-forward to the present - the band has just released their latest EP es or s, and the endless wonder promised by the Ling's previous efforts is all but gone. From start to finish, the EP sounds like one big trip deja vu trip. The refrain in "mirror frustration" literally mirrors the chorus of "Beautiful Circus”, "end roll fiction" borrows moments from “secret cm”, and “Karma Siren” sounds like a limp combination of “Can you kill a secret?” and “Telecastic fake show”. It’s almost as if TK has taken Ling’s discography and thrown it into a blender, as you can almost dissect every moment on “es or s” and trace it back to an earlier creation. The problem isn’t that it’s derivative, though. Ling has always been adept at maintaining their sound while moving forward, but the band hasn’t broken any significant ground since 2010’s “still a Sigure virgin?”. Even their last full length, 2013's i’mperfect, generally considered as a creative brick wall for Ling, managed to deliver the band’s core strengths in an effective manner. On the other hand, this EP doesn’t even manage to refine their sound, let alone innovate. At most, there’s a cool, but exceedingly brief solo in “Mirror Frustration” and a pretty snazzy riff in “Tornado Mystery”, but those are hardly worth a mention when the rest of the EP is drowning in overused Ling tropes and suffering from some of TK's most drab songwriting yet. On the bright side, the band is still as instrumentally proficient as they've always been, TK's vocals are at their most tolerant, and the production is sound. If you've just gotten into Ling or just haven't heard much of their back catalog, then there's a better chance that you'll receive this EP well and my criticism won't hold up. After all, there's nothing here that would constitute as 'bad' or unlistenable - it's all very well done. But if you're a long-time fan and have had a chance to live with their older works, then "es or s" might be a more difficult pill to swallow. You might even wonder what brought the band to this point. Each member now has their own side-projects; TK has released two solo albums, Miyoko has also released two with geek sleep sheep, and Pierre has his Chaotic Vibes Orchestra. One could easily assume that Ling is no longer their primary focus. Not to mention the anime themes that the band has been pumping out since 2012. "abnormalize" is their highest grossing single, so perhaps they've found a formula that sells and are sticking to it? It's hard to tell, and even more difficult to believe, but es or s truly legitimizes the notions that either TK's been hoarding all of his 'Fantastic Magic' for solo endeavors, or it's true that his 'Inspiration is DEAD'. Support the band! "es or s" on Amazon "es or s" on iTunes US "es or s" on CDjapan

Artist: toe Album: HEAR YOU 1. Premonition (Beginning Of A Desert Of Human) 2. A Desert Of Human 3. Commit Ballad feat. CHARA 4. . The World According To 5. My Little Wish 6. Song Silly feat. Olivia Burrell 7. Boyo 8. Time Goes feat. 5lack 9. オトトタイミングキミト (oto to timing kimi to) feat. Kimura Kaela 10. G.O.O.D.L.U.C.K feat. U-zhaan / Kumi Maya Ayaya 11. Because I Hear You Rating: | a fractured toe that can still stand somewhat firm If you've ever ventured into the realm of Japanese instrumental rock, then you've undoubtedly heard of toe, as they're perhaps the most prominent name to emerge out of Japan's sprawling sea of post/math-rock bands. The band has been around since 2000, and they've literally had ten 'toe's deep in the music industry since then - working with tons of musicians from all sides of the business. In fact, it's almost become a trend in their releases to feature renown and respected J-pop figures like Asako Toki (cymbals), ACO, Ikuko Harada (clammbon) and so on. Though despite the band's clout and reputation (and the fact that they've been around for 15 years now), HEAR YOU is only toe's third album. Arriving a whopping six years after their previous LP, this album attempts to sate the apetites of long-time toe fans as well as push the band in new directions. One look at the tracklist and, assuming you're familiar with the featured musicians, you'd think the band has already accomplished those two feats. There's the obligatory J-pop vocal features - "Commit Ballad" with the iconic CHARA, and "オトトタイミングキミト (oto to timing kimi to)" with the popular Kaela Kimura. Both tracks are nods to toe's past, as CHARA gives a fully fleshed vocal performance like ACO in 2012's "月、欠け (tsuki kake)", and Kaela's voice is used more like a hip hop sample, the same as Ikuko Harada in 2009's "After Image". There's also " Time Goes" featuring the underground rapper 5lack, "Song Silly" with backup vocalist Olivia Burrel, and " G.O.O.D.L.U.C.K " with the prolific percussionist U-zhaan, who's worked with almost everyone from Miyavi to Yoko Kanno. These three tracks are probably the most blatant attempts of toe experimenting with their sound. Although even with these features, the outcomes are less appealing than they seem on paper. "song silly" features a rather dull electronic drum beat with some appropriately? goofy sounding Engrish vocals from guitarist Mino. You don't even hear Olivia Burrell until the end of the song, and even then, it's just a few minor "doo doo's", that don't add much to the song. A kind gesture naming her as a feature, but it hardly justifies itself in the song. "time goes" is equally awkward for toe. It's not a full song, but more like an interlude that leads into the next track. Still, 5lack's short verse on it is sloppy and upholds the Japanese rap standard of failing to stay on beat. "オトトタイミングキミト ト (oto to timing kimi to)" is basically the continuation of "time goes" and has a fittingly hip-hoppish bop to it. It's a pleasant track , but to quote a pal - 'It just sounds like Nujabes'. Thankfully there's no rapping in it, though. On the other features, U-zhaan performs just about as good as can be expected and CHARA's singing is surprisingly smooth, compared to her usually shrill offerings. But even these feature tracks are plagued by a larger problem that envelopes the entire album. Takashi Kashikura's dynamic drumming is mostly M.I.A. throughout HEAR YOU, as his performance is noticeably restrained to clear-cut, minimal beats. The only song where his skills really shine and hearken back vintage toe is "My Little Wish". For long-time toe fans, you can't help but feel the dearth of energy Kashikura's subdued drumming leaves. Guitarists Mino and Yamazaki still have impeccable interplay, but their songwriting is missing that factor that made past toe songs so riveting. Tracks like "A Desert Human" and the previously mentioned "commit ballad" are enjoyable enough to bob your head along to, but the songs offer you much incentive to want to revisit. Even the album closer "Because I Hear You" is severely anticlimactic and just kind of plods along without any real purpose. "The World According To" and "Boyo" are probably the only tracks that come close to anything emotionally gripping. HEAR YOU is still a good effort despite the album's shortcomings. The flow of the album in almost seamless and almost plays like one big narrative, with each track progressing the story. Even tracks like 'Song Silly', which individually doesn't even sound like a traditional toe song, manages to fit into the context of the album. But more importantly than cohesiveness, toe proves that they are incapable of writing poor music. As lackluster as this album is, it's still "good" on many accounts, because what toe does naturally, other bands can only hope to replicate. HEAR YOU will certainly not eclipse toe's previous work, and it likely won't please long time fans either, but it at least makes for some really great background music. Support the band! "HEAR YOU" on bandcamp "HEAR YOU" on iTunes US "HEAR YOU" on CDjapan

Artist: ウワノソラ'67 (uwanosora’67) Album: Portrait in Rock ‘n’ Roll 1. シェリーに首ったけ (Shelly ni kubittake) 2. 年上ボーイフレンド (Toshiue boyfriend) 3. 傑作映画の後で (Kessaku eiga no ato de) 4. 雨降る部屋で (Ame furu heya de) 5. 葉っぱのように (Happo no you ni) 6. Hey × 3 ・ Blue × 3 7. station No.2 8. 夢見るアクター (Yume miru actor) 9. 涙のフォークボール (Namida no forkball) 10. レモンビーチへようこそ (Lemon Beach e youkoso) Rating: | A blast from the past: retro-pop perfection! ウワノソラ'67 (uwanosora’67) appears to be a side-project of the ’70s inspired pop band ウワノソラ (uwanosora), featuring vocalist Megumi and the personification of “heavy lifting,” Hirohide, who handles everything from composition, lyrics, arrangement and production to playing instruments like acoustic/electric guitar, bass and even marimba. Their first album Portrait in Rock ‘n’ Roll might have been released in June 2015, but stylistically, it fits right in with the music from half a century ago. As their name implies, they mostly take their influence from the ‘60s, citing the sound of “girl group” legends like The Ronettes, the harmony-soaked tunes of The Beach Boys, and so much more. In true pop tradition, the album hits the ground running with their biggest hit, “シェリーに首ったけ (Shelly ni kubittake)”. Backed by a whole slew of support musicians playing everything from saxophones to harp, the group’s lush arrangements shine through, recalling Phil Spector’s “wall of sound.” The song is jaunty and fun in a very classic way, but the composition has a few surprises, such as the oddly percussive and bass heavy section in the middle of the chorus and a short slide guitar solo. Vocalist Megumi delivers a very sweet performance, singing in a slightly higher (more “Japanese”?) register than the American girl group singers who influence her. If the song isn’t enough, be sure to check out the PV below for wonderfully campy synchronized choreography—it’s like Japan’s version of the Hairspray musical. “年上ボーイフレンド (Toshiue boyfriend)” is more piano and orchestra-based than the opening track. In fact, I was first reminded of Welsh indie pop group The School, who also have similar '60s influences to ウワノソラ'67. This track adopts a slightly more melancholic, wistful mood, featuring gorgeous string arrangements and heartfelt vocals. It’s evident that Hirohide has a knack for classic pop songwriting. Every song is a joy, from the cheerful tracks like “傑作映画の後で (Kessaku eiga no ato de)” to the album’s gorgeous rainy day ballad, “雨降る部屋で (Ame furu heya de)”. What really makes the album pop, however, are the immense arrangements. Whether it’s the horns that punctuate the verses of tracks like “涙のフォークボール (Namida no forkball)”, the majestic fluttery harp in “夢見るアクター (Yume miru actor)”, Hirohide’s own marimba action in ”葉っぱのように (Happo no you ni)”, or the numerous rich sax solos sprinkled throughout, the lovely arrangements are what take the album to the next level, transporting the listener to another era. While the album’s creativity dips ever so slightly in tracks 5 and 6, the second half of the album finishes off almost as memorably as it started. Vocally, Megumi also deserves some praise. She knows how to balance the innocence, charm, and heart most befitting of these colorful arrangements. While not technically a very soulful vocalist, she makes up for it (like many of the best singers of the '60s) with an enchanting naiveté that is equally as powerful. In ”雨降る部屋で” in particular, it amazes me how moving her delivery of the simple chorus gets with each repeat—I get goosebumps every time. While some listeners might find that she occasionally spends too much time in falsetto (such as in the choruses of ”夢見るアクター”), overall, she makes the most of her role in the group. Throughout the album, there are also a few instances of playful “shooby dooby” background vocals, such as in “station No.2”, further grounding the music in the '60s. The album’s already beautiful final track, “レモンビーチへようこそ (Lemon Beach e youkoso)”, ends with a glorious, choral outro. It’s clear that ウワノソラ'67 have been doing their homework, paying homage to the musical styles of the past in such an authentic way. If there is one potential drawback to the album, it’s that the group doesn’t infuse their music with contemporary edge. British artists like Amy Winehouse and The Pipettes had similar musical “foremothers” to ウワノソラ'67, but their lyrical content was “updated” with a lot of contemporary sass and attitude; as far as I can tell, that is not the case here. But maybe that’s the point. Portrait in Rock ‘n’ Roll truly is like listening to the sounds of the ‘60s in fresh, modern recording quality, but instead of an LP in hand, you have a CD (or just mp3s)! Currently, I prefer this side project to the “normal” ウワノソラ output and I’m praying that this album isn’t just a one-off endeavor! What did you think of the album? Support the band! UWANOSORA SHOP Dessinee Shop (international shipping!) Parks Records (international shipping!)

Artist: 黒百合と影 (Kuroyuri to kage) Album: アケスケ羞恥録 (Akesuke shuuchiroku) 1. 「便所」 (Benjyo) 2. ぺど。(Pedo.) 3. ティシューの空箱 (Tissue no karabako) 4. 児童公園 (Jidouyuuen) 5. 高田馬場えいりあん (Takadanobaba alien) 6. ぼくのともだち。 (Boku no tomodachi.) 7. 花と骨 (Hana to hone) Rating: | Quantity over quality strikes again. Forming only last year, delightfully dark 黒百合と影 return with a new mini album after their last full length won over a plethora of cynics. Their style is equal parts doom and gloom musically, lyrically, and aesthetically. This time around they decided to up the ante by increasing their creepy factor and centering their concept for this release around children and the loss of innocence. アケスケ羞恥録's titles like "ぺど。", "児童公園", which translates to 'playground', and "ぼくのともだち。" meaning 'my friend' should start to bring some very specific imagery to mind. Part of what I love about 黒百合と影 is their use of nu-metal groove and sludge metal overtones to give a distinct sound in the sea of visual indies bands battling it out for your attention. Just when I thought nu-metal was getting phased out of the scene, they came and made it awesome again! So after having a great appreciation for the approach taken on the last album I was beyond pumped to take this one out for a spin. Though, when my hype settled down and I fully digested this new batch of songs, I ended up enjoying this album less with each listen. Actually, the more I listen to it, the more I hear where the band simply 'phoned it in'. This mini feels rushed and devoid of much inspiration, frankly. The opening track, "便所" felt so much like an old Coal Chamber song that it was distracting. A quick listen to "Loco" and the first minute will show you what I'm talking about. I ain't calling it plagiarism, but there are some undeniable similarities going on here underneath that layer of violin synth. I'm just sayin'. At other times, certain members' shortcomings are highlighted when they seemed much less conspicuous before. I can appreciate vocalist Karasuna Mei's drive to push his vocals in new directions, but songs like "ティシューの空箱" and "ぼくのともだち。" sacrifice vocal control for extra levels of emotion and it becomes more cringe worthy than engrossing. Both start off pleasant enough but soon lose their focus, and being part of the host of songs on this album suffering from extremely cut and paste construction doesn't help them to engage the listener, either. It all begins to blend into other songs you've already heard this band make before. That's not to say a couple of songs don't fight their way out of the murk. My favorite pick off of the album is "ぺど。", and while it doesn't reinvent the wheel, the song is one of the only ones on the album that felt thoroughly conceptualized from first note to last. It plays off of the band's signature sound, then proceeds to add a creep-tastic music box and venomous machine-gun guitar riffs into the mix. The song has fist-pumping highs and somber lows that all compliment and build off of each other. "児童公園" is also a highlight with some sexy slap bass from K that snaps it out of the same-y territory right away. The call-back style vocals are a nice, quirky addition that make the song more memorable than its comrades. It is a tad unfortunate that nothing on the album compares to 黒百合と影's previous work, though I wouldn't call any of it unlistenable, by any means. However, as much as I do love the 90s, they should consider leaving just a little more of it back where they found it. They seem to have hit the proverbial wall for creativity for now, but I will be holding out hope that it returns in the future. This is a group of talented musicians, but maybe it's time they took a break and got real honest with themselves about their own strengths and weaknesses. Support the band! Purchase アケスケ羞恥録 @ CDJapan Purchase アケスケ羞恥録 @ HMV Purchase アケスケ羞恥録 @ JP iTunes

Artist: MAAKIII Album: 兎に角、ジェネシス!!!!! (Tonikaku, Genesis!!!!!) 1. TONIKAKU. JENESIS!!!!! -KAIMAKU- (兎に角、ジェネシス!!!!! -開幕-) 2. ×××× 3. TRICK STAR 4. KOKONI OIDEYO (ココニオイデヨ) 5. CHO KANKAKUTEKI CHIKAKU -ZERO MIX-(超感覚的知覚 ーZERO mixー ) 6. kIRA◯kIRA 7. DASH!DASSHUTSU!DASSHU! (DASH!脱出!奪取!) 8. IIJAN! (いーじゃんっ! ) 9. SPAAAAAAAAAARK!!! 10. SNOWBALL EARTH (スノーボールアース) 11. TONIKAKU. JENESIS!!!!! -HEIMAKU- (兎に角、ジェネシス!!!!! -閉幕- ) Rating: | HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR's ex-vocalist isn't so high and mighty anymore Mākii was the female vocalist of popular rock band HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR, famous for hit songs such as '一輪の花 (Ichirin no Hana)', 'RUN☆RUN☆RUN' and 'OVER'. They disbanded in 2008, citing "musical differences" and "future opportunities" as their reasons. With Mākii returning as solo artist 'MAAKIII' after five years, this must've been a foreshadowing as to what we'd be getting from her once she came back. An SE with the same name opens 兎に角、ジェネシス!!!!! with a bang. Marching footsteps, clapping and glass breaking against an electro beat do sound random, and even more so with MAAKIII's 'do, do, do, do's,' shrieks, and repeated lyrics. For how much of a hot mess it is, it does its job in getting you fired up. You can hear what direction MAAKIII was going for from just this. The closing track is titled almost exactly like the opening: '兎に角、ジェネシス!!!!! −開幕−.' I was hoping it would be different since it was twelve seconds longer but alas, the closing song is pretty much the same SE. So much for creativity! It's a neat loop if you ever want to put this record on repeat, or just the sentiment alone is pretty interesting, but still, it can't be helped how cheap of a move that comes off as. The songs are hit and miss and the track placements come under the microscope for its ups and downs. Three out of four of the singles hit a wall, sounding like the ‘been there, done that’ J-pop jam. The first culprit is ‘ﾗﾗﾗﾗ.’ MAAKIII does well in carrying the cute charm from the opening, and while it’s fitting and engaging with a climatic build up to the chorus, it’s the chorus which turns it all mediocre. Equipped with the most generic sound thanks to its typical Engrish lyrics and straightforward structure, it fails to give the song that necessary shine. However, it’s still enjoyable without suffering unlike ‘SPAAAAAAAAAARK!!!’, which is an embarrassment. This attempts to sound like a summer break hit, and is slaughtered to death by the party goers instead. The beat is obnoxiously loud with overused autotune and goes absolutely nowhere but continuously grates on your bleeding ears. 'スノーボールアース' is the saving grace. It's got that KOKIA sound in the verses thanks to its spacey sound, and its chorus finally packs the punches most of the tracks needed. While her vocals may need work in some places, the music is exactly what MAAKIII needs to stick to. 'ココニオイデヨ' can almost beat ‘SPAAAAAAAAAARK!!!’ with how much it’s in your face. I'm one for autotune, but when it's too much even I admit it wasn't a good move. I appreciate how well this track would do live because of its high energy, but the chorus is far too tiresome. It had a promising start, but with so much autotune, it comes off as lazy and not as exciting as it tries to sound. Even a whistle can be heard in it, literally calling for a time out. The songs that exhibit her new sound best are ‘トリックスター’ , ‘いーじゃんっ!’ and ‘kIRA◯kIRA’. The latter is the strongest and hardest track on the album, with a band playing much like how the best all-girl bands sound. The effect over MAAKIII's vocals exaggerates this all-girl group sound more so to give it a rough edge, and then synths come back in to greet the most melodic and fluid chorus. MAAKIII even treats us with a badass shout at the end, something we can all die happy for. ‘いーじゃんっ!’ acts as a compliment to it. This one can be known as the poppy 'kIRA◯kIRA’, and while it sounds like a downgrade of it, it’s still a very successful pop track. The diamond is the rough is definitely ‘トリックスター’. The progression of the track is gorgeous. It sounds epic, with fairy-tale like imagery. Piano dominates throughout, a feature non-existent for the most part in this album, and it really stands out for this. MAAKIII's vocals here are light and fluffy, and overall, it's memorable without trying too hard. The worst of the batch are '超感覚的知覚 ーZERO mixー’ and 'DASH!脱出!奪取!': All filler and dead weight. '超感覚的知覚 ーZERO mixー' might as well not have been included. It's exactly what I feared the album would be. The chorus lacks so much enthusiasm it flatlines. A more valid attempt at the dancefloor sound, but it's one that'll get me moving to evacuate the room ASAP. 'DASH!脱出!奪取!' is the EDM number which is hungry for the listener to get their groove on, and surprisingly, this autotuned, electro filled track manages to get some taps. It’s definitely the most repetitive song but it's the only electronic filled one which isn’t unpleasant. Sure, autotune is poured all over the track but this time it works. MAAKIII sounds like a cyborg here, and clearly the autotune is even more overused since it's so heavy, but the music and the voice finally have a balance which just collided together in others. It’s a more admirable attempt, albeit it's still not enough and becomes dead weight by the end. I really was expecting a miserable failure of an album. As only a few songs lived up to my expectation of how bad this was going to be, - and let's not forget the rather lame excuse to have the opening and closing track almost exactly mirror one another! - I'm pretty happy with the result. There's a lot of improvement needed, but surely this is the kind of music Mākii wanted to do from the beginning, so good on her. Support the artist! iTunes

Artist: アルルカン (Arlequin) Single: 道化ノ華 (Douke no Hana) 1. 道化ノ華 (Douke no Hana) 2. 身を知る雨 (Mi wo Shiru Ame) 3. 人形-ヒトガタ- (Hitogata) Rating: | A perfect example of when reversing the track list would have had much better results. アルルカン is that band with promise and growing pains. If they haven't already, they are on the verge of becoming one of the next top indie bands of the scene. What keeps them from becoming a serious force is their inconsistency: their choices from composing music to presenting it aren't always the greatest. This is what kept their first full-length album "ニア・イコール" from being anything more than a fun, but ultimately shallow debut release. This single continues right along in that vein with some good ideas, some bad ideas, and ultimately a feeling that the single wasn't as satisfying as one had hoped. This issue would go away if the track list was reversed. As the most dull song of the batch, I do not think "道化ノ華" makes for a good single. The intro is deceiving, bursting forth with aggressive chugging and their trademark electronic influences, only to melt away into a melodic chorus that tapers off as the song progresses. The metalcore and rock sections don't gel as well as they do on some other songs, but it is passable. Vocalist 暁-aki- dominates the majority of the song with a vocal melody that doesn't reach it's climax and has about as much impact as a BB gun: you'll remember it, but you won't catch yourself humming it anytime soon. This is a problem because 暁-aki- is the centerpiece of the band. He's the one with the sweeping melodies and when he's on fire, the songs feel much more alive. To an extent, this holds back the next track "身を知る雨" as well. Contemplative piano keys give way to their trademark electronic chugging souffle which actually makes a nice atmosphere, but another uninspiring chorus and a misplaced breakdown halfway through the song moves the song into a direction it doesn't quite recover from. The chorus is at least better this time around and the breakdown isn't bad enough to ruin the whole song. It deserves a listen or two but it's not their Sunday best. The oddball of the single, "人形-ヒトガタ-", has all the elements which go into making an effective title track. But much like their last single, Dilemma, the best track lacks the attention it deserves. Similar to "imp", this should be the single. It is here where アルルカン finds their groove with melodic, catchy riffs and a chorus guaranteed to get stuck in your head. While the previous two tracks were a mixed bag of good and bad ideas, this track isn't. The build-up to the chorus features the type of growth I was expecting and the chorus is killer. It's no coincidence that the best track of the single is the one where 暁-aki- puts the most energy into singing. I took a long break from this band after their disappointing debut but I'm pleased to find that this band isn't completely out of ideas yet. アルルカン needs a lot of help in understanding where the music they play and the way we perceive it intersect. This band would have much more effective singles if they focused on catchy, energetic rock or aggressive metalcore and less on power ballads with riffs that vaguely resemble Versailles' "zombie". If the track list were reversed, and "人形-ヒトガタ-" placed first and "道化ノ華" placed last, this would have easily gotten a whole star higher. It would have also signaled good things about their next full album. It's not as awesome as 墓穴, but it will do. Support the band! Purchase Type A Purchase Type B

Artist: Charisma.com Album: OLest 1. やれよ。 (Yare yo.) 2. お局ロック (Otsubone Rock) 3. マメマメBOYがさつGIRL (Mamemame Boy Gasatsu Girl) 4. アラサードリーミン (Arasaa Doriimin) 5. ダリぃだらりん (Darii Dararin) 6. こんがらガール (Kongara Girl) 7. 超絶に胸が痛んでいるあなたの上司 (Chouzetsu ni Mune ga...) 8. 黄昏各位 (Tasogare Kakui) Rating: | The black sheep of Charisma.com's discography makes an appearance. Avoiding the sophomore slump is what separates the one-hit wonders from the naturally gifted. In case you are unfamiliar with the term, 'sophomore slump' is what happens when an artist's second album fails to live up to their first album. The pressure to evolve while improving and retaining the elements fans liked about the music is always difficult. It happens to all artists, some more than others, but it seems most likely to happen to artists that "blew up overnight". Now enter one quirky female electropop duo who have made considerably big waves in the last four years. Flows as smooth as butter over fat beats and clever samples is what put Charisma.com on the map. They defined their sound on アイ　'アイ　シンドローム (Ai Ai Syndrome) and pushed it farther on DIStopping, which was so unbelievably good it won the MH 2014 AOTY award in a landslide upset. By definition, Charisma.com was fated to have a duel with the Slump. But instead of tackling it head on, these girls brush it aside like it's not a problem. OLest is more than a shallow clone of DIStopping. By adjusting their creative compass a few degrees, they've subverted expectations, slayed their nefarious opponent, and produced their catchiest music to date in one fell swoop. No one was ready for this. This time the girls have pushed the limits back further than ever before. It makes for a more well-rounded album in the long run but is not as easy to listen to the first few times. Unless you're an enthusiast of hip hop production, modern house music, disco, and trance, the transitions on this album will feel weird and unsettling. Almost every track features a collaboration with a notable EDM or pop producer which gives each song personality (and is also why this album feels so schizophrenic at points). The beats are absolute fire at their best but when they aren't, some tracks fall flat more than others. "マメマメBOYがさつGIRL" (Mamemame Boy Gasatsu Girl) is the flattest of them all, sounding like a bad interpretation of trap music. It's not all that great. Limited editions also feature two remixes: one of "イイナヅケブルー" (Iinazuke Blue) and the other of "HATE". I haven't tracked down "HATE", but the gabber remix of the former destroys all the good qualities about the original and made me uninterested in finding the latter. Only a hair above those Gauze-era Dir en grey remixes no one talks about, it's inferior to the original and ends the album on a sufficiently weird and unsatisfactory note. Even with its flaws, OLest bangs hard. "やれよ。" (Yare yo.) and "ダリぃだらりん" (Darii Dararin) should come with a doctor's warning about how infectious it is. The first single "こんがらガール" (Kongara Girl) is full on turbo pop, perfect background music for a commercial about hair brushes. Even the more accessible moments like "アラサードリーミン" (Arasaa Doriimin) sound like Infected Mushroom demos with bars and poppy choruses. So while you're trying to convince yourself "超絶に胸が痛んでいるあなたの上司" (Chouzetsu ni Mune ga Itandeiru Anata no Joushi) doesn't sound vaguely like disco, you're still wrapping your head around what "お局ロック" (Otsubone Rock) was. Charisma's biggest problem is that OLest will always be compared to DIStopping because the latter set the bar so high that matching it again is a huge feat. Even though they are more similar than different, they're different enough to be treated as two completely different albums. DIStopping was a fun ride through the playground of pop meets hip hop meets Japan and immediately caught my attention on first listen, but I find myself listening to it less and less as time passes. On the other hand, OLest sufficiently freaked me out the first time I heard it. I wasn't quite sure what the hell I heard. But over time, I've come to appreciate how much more mature and refined it is, managing to be both shorter and more diverse at the same time. Also, I put this on at a party and people started dancing without asking me why it wasn't in English. Find me another Japanese album that can do that and I'll find some socks to eat. Support the band! Purchase OLest from CDJapan if you liked the music and support the artists!